School Board Elections Expose a County Divided on Curriculum
Campaign spending in the district 4 race has already surpassed $200,000, with outside PACs dominating the conversation.
The Palm Beach County School Board District 4 race was never supposed to be this expensive. When incumbent Susan Valdés announced her retirement in January, political observers expected a modest, locally funded campaign to replace her.
Instead, outside political action committees have poured more than $140,000 into the race — most of it backing two candidates with sharply opposing visions of what public education in Florida's third-largest school district should look like.
The dividing line is familiar: one camp emphasizes standardized testing, traditional curriculum, and parental notification policies; the other pushes for expanded arts funding, mental health resources, and a more inclusive approach to history instruction.
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By Latitude 26 Editorial
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