School board incumbents in Miami-Dade facing opponents with state backing, conservative group funding

MIAMI – Election time is right around the corner, and while school board races usually don’t receive a lot of attention, that may not be the case this year.

School board candidate and teacher Sandra Manzieri is kind of an outlier this election.

“I’ve see so many things change,” she said. “Kids needs not being met and teachers being disrespected.”

She is one of the only conservative-leaning challengers to incumbents that is not publicly backed by the DeSantis administration.

Though incumbent Maritere Rojas is a conservative voice too, the Miami-Dade school board paid for defying the governor by enforcing COVID-19 mask mandates in school and now members are finding themselves in tough races against opponents with state backing.

Board member Marta Perez’s opponent, Monica Colucci, is a veteran teacher who has worked in the DeSantis administration and shares his views on the new parent’s rights laws, how sex education and race should be taught, and has his endorsement.

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“I have a very well-funded opponent receiving money from conservative groups throughout the United State,” said Perez.

The same can be said for Roberto Alonso, who sits on the Miami-Dade College board, is connected in Republican circles, and whose values and vision got the governors attention.

“I am a conservative, I have strong conservative values,” Alonso said. “I did not ask for it, it was an endorsement provided to me based on my platform.”

DeSantis has a school board survey for candidates on his website.

Last spring he chose political newcomer Daniel Foganholi, who also shares his vision, to fill an open school board seat in Broward County.