Three candidates vied to represent District 5 on the Lee County School Board in the primary election.
The election didn’t determine the winner.
None of the candidates got more than 50% of the vote. So, there will be a runoff in the general election on Nov. 3 between the top two vote-getters.
The top vote-getters are Armor Persons, who currently holds the District 5 seat and serves as the school board chairman, and Crystal Johnson, a paraprofessional in the school district and a former parent involvement specialist.
Persons got 43.38% of the vote, or 7,337 votes.
His top opponent, Johnson, received 31.42% of the vote, or 5,315 votes.
Reactions to the election results
In a statement, Persons said he was deeply grateful for the voters who “placed their confidence in me.”
“Over the coming months, I will work hard to make sure voters hear the message of the progress our schools have made,” he said. “Lee County has achieved its highest academic performance in a decade, set record graduation rates two years in a row, and provided our teachers with raises that rank among the highest in Florida.”
At the same time, he said he’d continued working “tirelessly” as the school board’s chairman.
“My responsibility to our students, teachers, staff, parents, and taxpayers does not stop because there is another election ahead,” Persons said.
He emphasized: “Experience matters. Leadership matters. Results matter.”
In a phone interview, Johnson said of her results: “I’m super, super excited. I’m so excited, and I’m trying to compose myself.”
She said she’s looking forward to the general election and believes that “I’m going to be the winner.”
She described her campaign as grassroots and all-heart, saying God is the one who told her to run, and she put her faith in him.
“I’m leaning heavily into my spiritual beliefs, and he gets all the glory,” she said.
She said she believed that people showed up and supported her in the election because she’s “one of them,” a mother, a grandmother, and an advocate for and supporter of teachers, students and school staff.
“I’m the people’s choice,” she said. “And if they will allow me, I want to be their voice.”
More about the incumbent
In August 2002, Persons won the primary election outright before officially taking office a few months later.
Persons is a husband, father and grandparent to children who attend Lee County public schools. He is the owner of Courtmaster Tennis Services (a regional court construction, maintenance, and consulting business), and he’s involved in local organizations, such as the East Lee County Chamber.
He graduated from Fort Myers High School and studied at Florida Southern College.
More work to do in District 5
In his re-election campaign, Persons committed to taking a deliberate and responsible approach to the district’s budget gap while ensuring parents remain the primary voice in educational policy.
Ahead of the election, Parsons told the News-Press that he was running for re-election “because our district is moving in the right direction, and I want to continue that momentum.'”During my time on the board, we have improved school safety, increased academic achievement, raised graduation rates to record levels, expanded career and technical education, strengthened parental rights and improved fiscal responsibility,” he said.
He continued: “We have also stabilized transportation, reduced teacher vacancies and expanded opportunities such as dual enrollment and workforce pathways. My focus remains simple: putting students first, supporting teachers, respecting parents and ensuring every student graduates with a plan for college, career, military service or entrepreneurship.”
More about the newcomer
Crystal Johnson is a mother of four children who all attended Lee County schools.
She’s described herself as a hands-on candidate with direct experience supporting local families and working with local students.
In her campaign, she committed to restoring confidence in the district by prioritizing stronger discipline, academic accountability and real partnerships between schools and parents.
Ahead of the election, Johnson told the News-Press, she was running because she’s seen firsthand “where the system is falling short inside the schools, not from the outside.”
“Parents’ concerns go unaddressed, teachers feel unsupported and students are not getting what they need. I’m running to restore that confidence and bring common-sense leadership back to the district,” she said.
Only residents in District 5 could vote in the non-partisan race (candidates do not run with a political party).
The School District of Lee County is home to more than 100,000 students at its 118 schools. It ranks as the eighth-largest school district in Florida and the 27th-largest in the nation.
District 5 Schools
District 5 of the Lee County School Board covers the northeastern parts of Lee County, mostly north of State Road 82. It includes the communities of Alva, Lehigh Acres, and Buckingham.
Here are the schools in the district’s boundaries:
Laura Layden is a senior business and government reporter. Reach her by email at laura.layden@naplesnews.com.
Mickenzie Hannon, a watchdog reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, covering Collier and Lee counties, contributed to this story. She can be reached at 239-435-3423 or mhannon@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County District 5 School Board race not decided in the primary: Results
Reporting by Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
