This story is part of a statewide partnership of 27 nonpartisan newsrooms and universities working to help Florida voters make informed decisions in the 2026 school board elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership.
Financial pressures, teacher concerns and school choice are among the issues facing voters in the Highlands County School Board District 5 race. Gary Brown, Savannah Casto and Andy Tuck are seeking the vacant seat left by Nicole Radonski after she had to resign when she discovered her new home’s address was outside her district.
The next District 5 board member will inherit a district facing significant financial challenges. In July, the Highlands County School Board approved a tentative $189 million budget for the 2026-27 school year, a decrease of more than $11 million from the previous year’s tentative budget. District officials have cited rising health insurance costs and declining enrollment as major factors affecting the budget.
Earlier this year, administrators discussed eliminating 62 positions, including teachers and paraprofessionals, to save approximately $3.9 million, although board members encouraged the superintendent to continue looking for ways to reduce spending without cutting classroom positions.
The district has also struggled with rising employee health insurance costs. School officials reported transferring $8 million from reserve funds to cover health insurance expenses, but reserves have still fallen below the minimum level required by the state, increasing pressure to reduce costs or identify new revenue.
Tuck, a former Highlands County School Board member and former Florida State Board of Education member, is seeking a return to the board, despite lingering concerns about his resignation from the Florida State Board of Education and views on evolution.
In 2021, Tuck resigned from the board due to an investigation into bidding. Essentially, the Florida Department of Education needed to hire a company to help Jefferson County Schools transition from a charter school system back to a traditional public school district.
Two high-ranking education officials, Tuck and Melissa Ramsey, planned to start a private consulting company that would help struggling school districts. According to investigators, they formed the company while they were still employed by the state and discussed having it bid on the Jefferson County contract.
Ramsey said she believed it would be acceptable because she planned to retire before taking the contract and had spoken with other department leaders. Before investigators could fully question Tuck, he resigned and did not participate in an interview despite agreeing to one initially. Because of the allegations, Tuck and Ramsey both resigned from their positions.
Furthermore, his outspoken views on evolution are still a topic for the media. In 2008, as a Highlands County School Board member, he opposed a proposal to include teaching evolution as a fact in the state’s standards. He reiterated his beliefs in 2014, and when asked again about his beliefs in 2019, he did not say if they had changed.
Brown, a retired military member and director of operations and student affairs at Heartland Christian Academy, said he is running to help strengthen the district through what he calls “common sense leadership.”
Casto, a single mother, says on her campaign website that she wants to strengthen public education through teacher support and parental involvement. On her campaign Facebook account, she said she believes “that regular people paying attention can still change what happens in their own community.”
Brown participated in an interview for this story. Casto said she could not find a time around her work schedule, and Tuck did not respond to interview requests.
Brown said the district’s biggest challenge is its finances, particularly rising insurance costs. Rather than proposing immediate cuts, he said the board should closely examine district spending and involve teachers, administrators and parents before making difficult decisions.
“You’ve got to spread it out on the table, dig into it and figure out where the money’s going,” Brown said.
Casto’s campaign also emphasizes financial transparency and investing in public schools. However, her publicly available campaign materials do not outline specific proposals for balancing the district budget or reducing costs. Tuck did not provide his views on the district’s finances.
Brown said concerns about teacher support and employee morale have been common throughout his campaign. While he said he has heard criticism of district leadership, he emphasized that some concerns may be based on perception rather than verified facts. “People need to have someone they can trust,” Brown said, adding that rebuilding confidence among teachers, parents and district leaders would be one of
his first priorities. Casto’s campaign similarly says teachers deserve greater support and parents should have a stronger voice in district decisions.
A major policy issue in this race is the expansion of school vouchers.
The 2023 Universal School Voucher Law created a “universal school choice” program. It allows any K-12 student in Florida — regardless of family income — to use state taxpayer funds to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, tutoring or other approved educational costs.
One sponsor of the bill was Representative Kaylee Tuck, Andy Tuck’s daughter. In 2019, Tuck voiced his support for expanded school options but has not given his current beliefs online.
Brown believes Florida’s expanded school choice system is permanent and said public schools must adapt by offering strong academic programs that attract families.
“Vouchers are here to stay,” Brown said. “I think the future of education is changing.”
Casto is endorsed by the Network for Public Education Action. As published on NPE’s website, Casto’s campaign takes a different approach, arguing public funding should remain focused on public schools and opposing continued expansion of private-school vouchers.
In the lead for campaign fundraising is Brown with $9,700 raised. Next is Tuck with $4,000 so far, all from direct family members. Casto has raised $2,466.
The winner of the District 5 race will help guide Highlands County Schools through budget decisions, teacher retention efforts and changes affecting public education across Florida.
Reagan Bresnahan is a sophomore studying journalism at the University of Florida. She can be reached at reaganebresnahan@gmail.com
