Partisan battle brews over proposal to elect Hillsborough Schools Superintendent

A proposal to make the Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent a partisan elected position is pitting Republican backers against Democratic opponents ahead of a key legislative delegation vote.

Currently, the Hillsborough School Board appoints the Superintendent. A plan to make it a partisan elected office is setting up a clash among local legislators. Proponents cite parental rights and accountability, while opponents decry the move as an unnecessary political intrusion into the education system.

Proposed by Rep. Michael Owen, a Tampa Republican, the measure is slated for consideration by the Hillsborough legislative delegation Wednesday. If approved by the delegation, Owen would submit the bill for consideration during the upcoming Legislative Session. If the full Legislature approves it, a referendum would appear on the 2026 county ballot.

Owen argues the shift would put parents in charge of their children’s education, creating direct accountability for the district’s chief executive.

“I believe that the parents should decide who the CEO of their children’s education is, not four members,” Owen said, referring to the current system where the seven-member School Board votes to hire the Superintendent.

Owen noted that the majority of Florida counties already have elected Superintendents, citing neighboring Pasco County as an example of a successful system. The elected position would be partisan, similar to other constitutional officers like the Sheriff. He added that the change would ultimately only be made if approved by Hillsborough County residents.

However, the proposal has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers.

House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, who represents Tampa, said there is no public appetite for the change and accused proponents of being influenced by special interests and “Tallahassee politicians.”

“What I’m hearing from the people of Tampa Bay is that they do not want this change,” Driskell said. “The people are not interested in turning this into an elected position that Tallahassee politicians and special interests can influence.”

Driskell suggested legislators should instead focus on making Florida more affordable for working families and seniors.

Rep. Michele Rayner, a St. Petersburg Democrat who also represents a part of Hillsborough County, called the proposal an “absolutely disastrous idea.”

She described the effort as a “power grab by the Republican party” to consolidate influence, and argued that a Superintendent should be selected by the School Board based on professional competency and a proven track record regardless of their political affiliation. She also noted that a School Board-appointed Superintendent is easier to remove than an elected one if issues arise.

“I believe this is a way for them to try to consolidate power and try to build on the fact that Hillsborough County has gone red in the last few years and to ensure that they have someone of their ilk in this position,” Rayner said.

“A Superintendent for a School District should be one that is committed to the School District, someone that has fidelity with the School District, someone that has a proven track record regardless of their political affiliation and ideology. 

Both Owen and Rayner commented on the district’s current leader, appointed Superintendent Van Ayres, who has at times been criticized by local Republican officials. While Owen clarified the bill is “nothing personal to him,” Rayner questioned the need to change the system when Ayres “has worked tirelessly for the health of this district and our children.”