North Florida School Board Race Puts Focus on Vocational Skills, Academic Accountability, and Parental Voice

NewsWK — Voters across North Florida continue to monitor school board races where issues of classroom accountability, workforce readiness, and parental involvement take center stage. In the rural Panhandle district of Jefferson County, three local graduates with extensive backgrounds in education and public service are competing for the District 2 seat on the school board, presenting distinct visions for advancing student outcomes and expanding vocational pathways.

The nonpartisan contest features Jamia Bradley, Donnie Burdick, and Miranda Gillyard Gilley. Under Florida election law, the three candidates will appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. If any candidate captures more than 50% of the vote, they win the seat outright. If no candidate secures a clear majority, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff in the Nov. 3 general election.

Candidate Backgrounds and Core Priorities

Each of the three contenders brings unique professional experience rooted in the local school system:

• Jamia Bradley graduated from Jefferson County High School in 2000 and has dedicated more than a decade to early childhood education, serving as a Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) educator and program director. Her platform emphasizes student-first policies, educational travel to expose students to broader college opportunities, and steady measurable growth alongside state letter grades.
• Donnie Burdick, a 1981 high school graduate and U.S. Navy veteran, transitioned into education following a career in law enforcement. Within the district, he has worked as a substitute teacher, substitute coordinator, and athletic safety coordinator. His priorities center on expanding career and technical education (CTE), raising graduation rates, and re-establishing athletic achievement.
• Miranda Gillyard Gilley graduated in 1996 and has worked in public education for more than 15 years as a paraprofessional, substitute, and certified classroom teacher. She also founded Horizon, a community non-profit providing family resources. Her campaign focuses on teacher retention, church and community partnerships, and solidifying the district’s state performance rating.

Focus on Career Preparation and Basic Life Skills

A central theme across the campaign is equipping students with practical, market-ready skills to stem rural population loss. While the district currently provides dual enrollment and vocational coursework, the candidates advocate for deeper partnerships with colleges and technical centers so students can pursue trades such as welding and cosmetology without having to relocate.

Both Burdick and Gilley have placed strong emphasis on teaching foundational life skills in early grades, including personal finance and everyday household responsibilities.

“Even at the elementary level, we can start preparing them for what life is … we need to get back to teaching how to do a checkbook. We need to get back to teaching how to wash your own clothes. We need to get back to the basic life skills to prepare them for their journey,” Burdick stated regarding curriculum priorities.

Gilley emphasized that school systems must serve all students, including those not planning on a four-year degree, by teaching budgeting, banking, and practical job skills, while strengthening parent trust.

“I hope to be known for being a voice for the children, a voice for the students, and a champion for parents,” Gilley said of her vision for board leadership.

Why it matters here

For residents and taxpayers across Escambia, Santa Rosa, and neighboring Panhandle counties, rural school board elections offer critical insight into educational governance statewide. Small districts face distinct operational challenges, including limited tax bases, teacher recruitment hurdles, and retaining local youth within the regional economy.

The debate in Jefferson County mirrors issues debated in school board chambers in Pensacola, Milton, and throughout Northwest Florida: balancing traditional academic standards with practical vocational trades, maximizing taxpayer return on investment, and ensuring parents remain active partners in curriculum decisions.

Background and Context

The Jefferson County School District serves approximately 700 students across a single pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade campus. In recent years, the district has focused on overcoming historical operational and financial hurdles common to smaller rural systems, recently earning a “B” grade from the Florida Department of Education. All three candidates have stated their ultimate goal is elevating that performance mark to an “A” while ensuring educational programs remain aligned with community needs and long-term economic independence for graduates.