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Broward School Board member Allen Zeman is seeking a second term after four years in office during which the nation’s sixth-largest school district grappled with declining enrollment, controversies over administrator pay and a state audit that found attendance reporting errors.

Throughout the campaign, Zeman – who has racked up campaign donations and a slew of endorsements from labor leaders and elected officials – has defended the board’s record, arguing the A-rated district has made measurable progress and should build upon that. Challenger Sonja Azim says recent controversies have exposed a need for greater transparency, equity and community trust.

The two-person race, between two registered Democrats, is for one of Broward’s two at-large School Board seats, whose holder helps oversee the district’s more than $5 billion budget and make decisions affecting schools across the county. 

Zeman, who holds a doctorate in economics and previously served in senior civilian leadership roles with the U.S. Navy, has pushed back against criticism of the board’s transparency.

“I understand some of the general criticisms that I’ve heard on the campaign trail from my opponent and from others about transparency, accountability, equitability. I just haven’t heard any data about it.” Zeman said in an interview. 

Azim holds a master’s degree in special education and was a former special education teacher in Broward Public Schools and charter school administrator. She argues transparency means more than making records available. She says the board needs to do a better job engaging with residents and rebuilding public trust.

“When are we going out to community events? When are we going out to meet the community where they are to get the input? Everybody can’t make it to a board meeting,” Azim said.

Transparency has become a key issue following several recent controversies. A recent state audit found Broward Schools had overstated student attendance figures during the 2023-24 school year and recommended the district repay back $878,000 to the state. District officials said they have since corrected many of the issues identified in the audit.

The district also faced criticism at the beginning of the year after Sun-Sentinel reporting revealed that dozens of high-paid administrators were receiving bonuses ranging from about $7,500 to $14,000. A few months later, the district announced plans to cut 1,000 jobs to address a budget shortfall.

Azim said those events contributed to a loss of trust between the district and the community. 

“My concern is that that, along with other missteps, has made us lose the trust of the community that we serve. So, how can we effectively serve a community that doesn’t trust us?” Azim said.

Zeman disagreed with the criticism that the board lacks transparency. He said he promotes accountability by attending every board meeting, staying informed on district decisions, and explaining board actions in accessible language rather than relying on government jargon.

“The public has the ability to ask for any document that we have, and we turn it over within days. I believe that we’re incredibly transparent, sometimes overly transparent,” Zeman said.

Zeman was himself the face of two ethics-related reviews in recent years, both of which concluded without findings of wrongdoing. 

The Challenge of Declining Enrollment

The candidates also differ in what is driving the district’s biggest long-term challenge: declining enrollment.

Over the past decade, Broward County Public Schools have lost nearly 40,000 students. Because of this decline, Superintendent Howard Hepburn said more than 10 schools could close by 2027, which would be more closures than the district has seen in the past two years combined.

Zeman said the decline is driven primarily by demographic changes, including families having fewer children, as well as increased education options for parents, including charter schools, private schools, homeschooling, and expanded access to vouchers. He said the district must recognize that enrollment changes are a long-term reality.

“We get over 80% of the kids in Broward County Public Schools, but it is a matter of demographics. People are having fewer children, and they’re having them later. So the overall birth rate is really down,” Zeman said. “The one thing that is inevitable is we’re going to have to repurpose some schools, and I think there’s a bunch of good options for that.”

Zeman said unused classroom space could be converted into computer science and artificial intelligence labs or even affordable housing for district employees. He pointed to the repurposing of Dave Thomas Education Center, where the district is creating 100 affordable housing units for employees, as an example of how unused facilities could serve new purposes.

“It’s a way of telling our employees: ‘look, we know we can’t pay you what you’re worth, but at least we can offer you some subsidized housing,’” Zeman said.

Azim considers her experience working in charter schools also showed her the importance of better communicating what the district already offers.

“We have to make sure that everybody knows that we’re the best option,” Azim said.

The Future of Broward Schools

While Azim focuses on rebuilding trust and improving communication, Zeman argues the district’s recent achievements show his approach is already working.

“I ran on the promise that we would make Broward County into an A-rated district. One year into my four years, we became an A district. We’ve been an A district for three years,” Zeman said.

As part of his goal of making Broward the best school district in the nation, Zeman said increasing teacher pay and expanding the use of technology are key priorities. He has advocated for raising teacher salaries to $100,000, a proposal he said he has pushed for during his time on the board. 

Zeman, who serves on the board of Entratus, an artificial intelligence services company, also believes AI can help personalize instruction for students.

“Artificial intelligence lets us break that down and make, instead of a class of 40, it makes a class of 40 classrooms, and each of those classrooms is tailored to the individual’s learning and what they’re going to learn next. It’s terribly exciting because it’s going to allow individual learning,” Zeman said.

Azim’s approach to improving classrooms focuses on equity and ensuring all students have access to the same opportunities. She points to concerns raised by the district’s Diversity Committee, which found that Black students have experienced higher rates of disciplinary actions than their white peers for years.

“We’ve had an opportunity to make some changes, and it hasn’t budged at all. That is absolutely unacceptable,” Azim said.

Azim also highlighted concerns about school facilities, pointing to the 2021 roof collapse at Rickards Middle School, where some students continue to learn in portable classrooms. She argued that the schools facing the greatest facility challenges often serve more vulnerable communities, though she did not provide data or reports to support that claim.

With different visions for addressing the district’s challenges, Azim and Zeman will face off in the August 18 primary. Voters can find election information through the Broward County Supervisor of Elections.

Zoe Millán is a journalist and graduate of the M.S. at Columbia School of Journalism and a summer 2026 fellow with The Florida Trib. You can reach Zoe at zoe.millan@floridatrib.org.