The former teacher opposes the current board’s ‘performative resolutions.’
By Ed James III
Original Air Date: May 15, 2026
Host: The Sarasota County School Board has spent much of the last year at the center of a national controversy on parental rights, book bans and the role of politics in the classroom. District 5 includes the county’s biggest city, North Port, and it has so far assured a conservative board majority. The seat is currently held by Karen Rose. She was re-appointed to the board by Ron DeSantis last year after the resignation of Tim Enos, another conservative. As the August election approaches, Rose has yet to file for election. Today, we are taking a closer look at former teacher Beth Mayberry, who is running for the seat held by Rose. WSLR reporter Ed James III sat down with Mayberry to discuss her transition from the classroom to the campaign trail.
Ed James III: For Beth Mayberry, the hallways of Sarasota’s schools aren’t places of policy—they are places of memory. With 14 years of experience as a middle school math and science teacher, Mayberry is running on a platform she calls “Pupils…Not Politics.”
Mayberry also is a Certified Financial Planner. She believes this combination of pedagogy and pocketbooks qualifies her to navigate the district’s current turbulence.
Beth Mayberry
Beth Mayberry: Our teachers are our front line. They’re the ones that see students most often. They deal with the parents most often. They deal with the curriculum most often. So they’re the ones that see a lot of the issues that might crop up. Besides being a teacher, though, I was a certified financial planner before I became a teacher. For me, I have a unique set of skills that allows me to also understand the financial situation, so when we’re looking at the budget, I can see if something looks like a teacher would be able to use it, or I would know if a teacher would be able to use it or students would benefit from it. But I also can look at that budget and see if what we’re spending is sustainable, which—up to this point, it obviously hasn’t been sustainable.
EJ: One of the most pressing issues, according to Mayberry, is the district’s recent legal battle with Tax Collector Mike Moran over $2 million in withheld fees. While the county commission eventually stepped in to resolve the immediate crisis, Mayberry argues the board needs a member who can spot these financial threats before they end up in the courtroom.
BM: I think we have to maintain good relationships with all of the other government agencies we might deal with—for example, the county commission because they’re the ones who basically said, “Yes, it’s okay. Take that money.” I think that we need to make sure we are constantly understanding what their goals are and they understand our goals. I think it was strategically not a very smart decision to allow it to begin with because when it came to light, there were a lot of unhappy people, and I’m glad that they made that decision. My understanding is that that money is actually back in the district now.
EJ: Mayberry has been a vocal critic of what she calls “performative resolutions,” specifically citing the board’s recent focus on immigration enforcement cooperation and restrictions on student protest. She argues these moves create a “climate of fear” that drives away talent.
Beth Mayberry
BM: I’ve been watching the chaos that’s been going on on the school board for a while. I was a teacher myself for 14 years. It kind-of culminated when the ICE resolution was being presented. So many of our wonderful young people stood up and spoke their piece about how they felt about it and how it was instilling fear in the student population, and they didn’t listen to any of that. I just felt like that was the opportunity. I needed to do something about that. It’s not right.
EJ: Mayberry faces Michelle Pozzie in the District 5 race. While Pozzie has positioned herself as a defender of the current board’s conservative 3-2 majority and a champion of parental rights, Mayberry is betting that voters are looking for a return to what she calls “objective, collaborative governance.”
As a non-partisan race, the District 5 election on August 18 will be open to all voters in the district, regardless of party affiliation.
For WSLR News, I’m Ed James III.
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