Former teacher and tech executive face off in Manatee District 1 School Board election

A former Manatee County school teacher and a former tech executive are set to compete for the School Board’s District 1 seat in the general election.

School Board Member Gina Messenger has represented District 1, which represents parts of Ellenton, East Bradenton and Parrish, since 2016. After serving two terms, she is not seeking re-election in November.

Heather Felton, a mother and former Manatee County teacher, said she is running to advocate for teachers and parents. Her opponent, Mark Stanoch, a grandfather and former tech executive, said he wants the job because he wants to give back to the community.

“It was important to me to be an advocate for people who don’t have a voice, to remind the board when they’re implementing policy, they need to keep the needs of those people in mind,” Felton said.

“I’ve got two grandchildren who are currently in the Manatee County school system, and I want to make sure that they got the best possible education,” Stanoch said.

School board candidates pitch experience

Felton worked for nearly a decade as a teacher at Harllee Middle School and Southeast High School, where at least 40% of students come from low-income households. She said her classroom experience makes her a strong candidate.

“I understand that schools are there to provide learning and growth for the kids,” Felton said. “It is closer to being a nonprofit than it is to being a corporation.”

Stanoch worked as an executive at Dell and IBM Global Services, and launched and sold two technology startups. He said his business experience would benefit the board.

“You realize that the Manatee County school budget is $1.6 billion,” Stanoch said. “You’ve got over 6,000 employees, 55,000 students. This is not a mom-and-pop shop.”

3 biggest challenges

Felton said her priorities are raising teacher salaries, helping parents find services for their children and promoting career programs.

“At the end of my nine years as a teacher, I was making what brand new teachers were making,” Felton said. “There is no financial incentive to stay in the job. It’s really hard on our teachers when they have to have a second job to support their family because they are not being paid what they’re worth.”

Stanoch said he would focus on improving reading scores, keeping an eye on school construction costs and promoting public schools.

“We have five schools going up between now and 2025 at a cost of close to half a billion dollars,” Stanoch said. “That’s a huge capital expense, and it’s a multi-year commitment. I think we really have to make sure that we’re doing things right.”

Records show that Felton has raised over $16,000 in campaign finance funds, while Stanoch has raised nearly $46,000.

For more information about Stanoch, visit www.VoteMarkStanoch.com. For more information about Felton, visit www.HeatherForManatee.com.

The school board race is nonpartisan and open to Manatee County voters who live within District 1. The winner will serve a four-year term on the school board.