As part of our commitment to providing you with what you need to make an informed decision in the 2026 elections, News 6 joined with the News Collaborative of Central Florida to present the Voting Central Florida 2026 Voter’s Guide.
Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.
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Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.
However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.
Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.
Orange County School Board District 1
All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.
There are seven school board districts in Orange County, with a board member representing each one. District 1 in Orange County covers much of east Orange County, including Union Park, Waterford Lakes, Avalon Park, Bithlo and Wedgefield. A map of the school districts is available HERE.
The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.
Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.
Our partners at the Orlando Sentinel compiled the candidate responses for the Orange County school board races, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks.
You can see the full Orlando Sentinel Voting Guide HERE.
Melissa Lopez Marantes
WEBSITE: www.melissaforkids.com/
YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: I see the first two major issues as interrelated: retaining high-quality educators and declining enrollment. To address these two issues, I believe we have to look at root causes, ask why these challenges exist, and identify creative solutions. Florida being 50th in the country for educator pay is a clear sign that teacher compensation is a priority. Many talented teachers are exploring other career options and we need to keep educators in the field. One teacher shared an innovative idea with me: rather than sending students to local colleges or universities for dual enrollment courses, we could partner with those institutions to have qualified high school teachers serve as adjunct professors and offer college-credit courses on our high school campuses. We could negotiate with the universities in our area; they keep the student enrollment and educators can get compensated. Homeschool or other students could also be given the option to take advantage of this opportunity. Our educators and families have valuable ideas that deserve this consideration.
YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Declining enrollment is closely tied to the first issue. One way to strengthen our schools is to better understand why families are choosing homeschooling or other options, especially if that research hasn’t already been done. Learning what parents value or feel is missing could help us identify opportunities to improve public education and attract more students. We should also look at what other school districts, both within Florida and across the country, are doing successfully and explore whether those strategies could work in our community.
YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Student success is fundamental. Every child deserves an education that meets their unique needs and prepares them for future success. I plan to support policies and programs that strengthen literacy, math, and keep arts in education. A well-rounded education helps students build the problem-solving and other skills they need to thrive.
How should the district handle teacher shortages? The priority is to have competitive compensation to attract and retain quality teachers. We can also explore strategies such as leveraging block scheduling, increasing flexibility, and other tools that support both educators and students. It is also important to foster a school environment where teachers feel valued and supported while giving them room to teach.
Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Student engagement is key. Partnering with local businesses to provide positive incentives and recognition for reading achievements can encourage students. Non-traditional approaches, such as pairing older and younger students as reading buddies, can also make reading more engaging and enjoyable. Additionally, involving students by asking what would make reading more interesting for them and turning their ideas into a reading challenge can increase ownership and enthusiasm for reading.
What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Mental wellness is an important part of our school safety plan. While I understand that budget constraints have required difficult decisions, I am concerned about the reduction in School SAFE Coordinators and the impact it may have on students. One opportunity worth exploring is partnering with the major healthcare systems in the Orlando area to help supplement some of the student mental health and support services that have been reduced. Strong community partnerships could help fill some of those gaps.
How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Libraries are for all students, so I believe for an item to be removed from a library, it must be a concern for more than one or two parents. There is currently a process for a parent to have a child opt out of a book they don’t want their child to read. Since parents have access to syllabi for their child’s classes at the beginning of each year, I believe the opt-out system is the most effective way to allow parents to have a say in what their child reads.
What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, Ruth’s List Florida, National Organization for Women FL Pac, Equality Florida Action Pac, current school board member for District 1-Angie Gallo, Rep. Dr. Anna Eskamani.
If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I would try to implement a policy that can support increasing educator compensation and/or support student engagement for success.
David Shepard
WEBSITE: electdavidshepard.com/
David Shepard, Orange County School Board District 1
NOTE: This candidate did not respond to our request to fill out this voter guide. To best serve you, we searched candidate websites to answer questions about their candidacy.
Student safety is one of his top priorities, according to his campaign website. As a firefighter and a paramedic, he has first-hand knowledge of emergency response, prevention and preparedness and will draw upon that to enhance student safety.
Another top priority is ensuring students have access to trade and vocational education to gain practical, in-demand skills and understand that college is not the only path after high school, his website says. He supports partnerships with local businesses to create internships and mentor programs for students.
He believes students are better served when their teachers are in communication with parents, according to his website. He will look to nurture stronger parent-teacher relationships.
Shepard’s website did not say how he thinks the district should handle teacher shortages, how he would improve Florida’s low level of academic growth in reading, what changes, if any, he would make to school safety policies, how he feels book challenges and library removals should be handled nor what policy he would try and pass in his first year.
According to Shepard’s website, his campaign is endorsed by the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, Central Florida American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization, Orlando Regional Realtor Association, Apopka Firefighters Associations, Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters, Orlando Professional Firefighters, West Orange Political Alliance, Orange County Firefighters Local 2057 and Florida Professional Firefighters.