We Asked All Seven School Board Candidates the Same Five Questions. Here Is Every Answer.

On July 30, ClayFLNews sent the same five questions to all seven qualified candidates for Clay County School Board, with the same deadline and the same rules: 150 words per answer, published verbatim and unedited, side by side. The questions cover the one mill referendum, veteran teacher pay, the district’s benefits broker, pooled insurance purchasing, and financial transparency, and every question is built on public records from our reporting series. These races are on the August 18 primary ballot, and early voting begins today. Four candidates answered: Lara Libretto, Erin Skipper, Ashley Gilhousen, and Veronica Powell-Faison. Michele Hanson referred the questionnaire to the board chair. Michael Rathjen and Gerald Beasley did not respond by the August 7 deadline. Here is every response, exactly as received. Some answers exceed the 150 word limit; all are published in full. ClayFLNews does not endorse candidates.

The five questions

Question 1. The mill percentage. Voters will decide in November whether to renew the district’s one mill property tax, which raises about $21 million a year. The ballot language names “competitive compensation” for teachers and staff as a purpose, but no share has been committed. Before their referendums passed, Duval published a commitment of 65% to teacher pay plus 10% to staff pay, and St. Johns published 85% to salaries. What specific percentage of the renewed mill’s revenue do you believe should be dedicated to employee compensation, and will you support publishing that commitment in writing before the campaign begins?

Question 2. Veteran teacher pay. The district’s own salary schedules show that the top of the teacher pay scale was $60,000 in 2008-09 and is $55,750 today, which is $4,250 less in actual dollars seventeen years later, while the full career earnings spread has shrunk from $22,200 to $7,250. Clay’s average teacher salary, $51,074, is the lowest among all neighboring districts despite the region’s most experienced workforce. What, specifically, would you do to restore veteran teacher pay?

Question 3. The benefits broker. Board records show the district’s employee benefits broker, The Bailey Group, was selected in 2018 through direct negotiation rather than a competitive solicitation, a process the district’s own attorney described at the time as legal but “not the cleanest.” The relationship has continued through successor contracts ever since, currently at up to $375,000 per year paid through carrier commissions, with renewals possible to 2032. Will you support putting the benefits consultant role out for competitive proposals? If not, why not?

Question 4. Pooled purchasing. Seventeen Florida districts, including neighboring Nassau and Baker, buy employee health coverage through the Florida Educator Health Trust, a pooled trust run under the state’s superintendents association. Hernando County’s board voted unanimously this year to apply, projecting savings of at least $1.5 million annually for a district half of Clay’s size. There is no public record that Clay has evaluated membership or requested a quote. Would you direct staff to obtain and publish a quote from the trust? If not, why not?

Question 5. Transparency. St. Johns County publishes monthly financial statements with archives back to 2009, monthly budget amendments, and its bids and vendor contracts online. Nassau maintains dedicated public pages for audits, amendments, and monthly reports. Clay’s most consequential financial documents, including salary schedules, insurance contracts, and RFP analyses, exist mainly as attachments inside board meeting agenda packets, findable only by meeting date. Will you commit to a single public transparency page where the district’s monthly financial statements, contracts, and procurement documents are posted and archived?

District 1

Lara Libretto

Responded August 7. Answers verbatim.

1. The mill percentage: “I believe 85% of the renewed one-mill revenue should be dedicated to employee compensation, mirroring the commitment made by St. Johns County. If voters are being asked to renew this tax specifically in part to support competitive compensation, they deserve to know exactly how the revenue will be used. I would support publishing that 85% commitment in writing before the campaign begins, providing transparency and accountability to taxpayers and our teachers and staff. The remaining 15% should be clearly identified and publicly reported so the community can see how every dollar is being used.”

2. Veteran teacher pay: “Veteran teachers should not have to choose between staying in Clay County and receiving meaningful compensation that reflects their experience and years of service. My first step would be to conduct a thorough review of district-level spending and administrative positions. For every district-level position, I would ask: Is this position directly tied to student success? Is it necessary? Is the work redundant? Can the work be performed more efficiently? Taxpayer dollars should be prioritized where they have the greatest impact, our classrooms, teachers, and students, not unnecessary or redundant layers of administration. I would support prioritizing recurring revenue to strengthen the veteran teacher salary schedule and restore meaningful salary increases that recognize years of experience and service. We must make Clay County competitive with neighboring districts and ensure that teachers who have dedicated decades to our students are appropriately recognized and compensated for their experience and years of service.”

3. The benefits broker: “Yes, I support putting the district’s benefits consultant role out for competitive proposals. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the original contract award, taxpayers and employees deserve a transparent, competitive process when significant public dollars are involved. I would not support automatically renewing a long-standing contract simply because it has been in place for years. Every major district contract should be reviewed through a fair, competitive, and transparent process, with the results made available to the public.”

4. Pooled purchasing: “Yes, I would direct staff to obtain and publish a quote from the Florida Educator Health Trust. Before making decisions that impact employee benefits and district finances, the board should ensure all available options have been fully evaluated. Our teachers and staff deserve access to quality, affordable health benefits, and taxpayers deserve confidence that the district is exploring opportunities to maximize value. A transparent review of potential alternatives, including projected costs, benefits, and savings, will allow the board and community to make an informed decision.”

5. Transparency: “I support creating a single, user-friendly public transparency page where important financial documents, contracts, procurement information, and monthly financial reports are posted and archived. Transparency is not just about making information available, it is about making information accessible and understandable. Parents, employees, and taxpayers should not have to search through years of board meeting agendas to find critical financial information. The district should simplify access to these documents so the community can easily see how taxpayer dollars are being managed. A centralized transparency page would strengthen public trust, improve accountability, and ensure that financial information is available in a clear and consistent format.”

Erin Skipper (incumbent, board chair)

Responded August 7. Answers verbatim.

Before responding, Skipper told ClayFLNews she would be “sending the questions over to you with answers from the board.” Her answers are written in the first person plural.

1. The mill percentage: “If approved by the voters, this referendum is a continuation of the existing one-mill investment, not a new funding source. The School Board updated the ballot language to better reflect the district’s priorities by including both school safety and security alongside competitive compensation for our employees. Unlike some neighboring districts, we do not believe it is fiscally responsible to commit a fixed percentage to one category before knowing future operational needs and before the collective bargaining process has occurred. A significant portion of the revenue will support the ongoing partnership with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and other critical school safety and security measures that protect our students and staff every day. The portion dedicated to employee compensation will continue to be negotiated through the established collective bargaining process, just as other salary funding is. We remain committed to investing in our employees while also ensuring we fulfill our responsibility to provide safe, secure schools and maintain sound fiscal stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

2. Veteran teacher pay: “Supporting veteran teachers has been a priority of this Board, and we have backed that commitment with action. Since 2022, we have invested nearly $24 million in teacher salaries, the largest combined compensation increase in Clay County Schools history. We also absorbed $14 million in rising health insurance costs over the past eight years, preventing employees from paying higher premiums. Recognizing the importance of retaining experienced educators, we have consistently directed additional funding toward veteran teachers through experience based salary increases, mentor supplements, and targeted TSIA allocations. Under the 2026-27 agreement, we invested additional local funding to ensure every teacher received a base salary increase based on years of experience, with the largest increases going to our most experienced educators. Moving forward, we will continue advocating for additional recurring state funding and local investments that reward experience, retain our master teachers, and keep Clay County competitive.”

3. The benefits broker: “In 2018 under Superintendent Addison Davis, staff was instructed to evaluate our broker services due to the former broker having key employee turnover within their account management team. The District also wanted to evaluate moving from fully insured to a self-funded medical program. The District acted swiftly by evaluating 4 brokers that had a history of working with school districts. Ultimately, we chose The Bailey Group and piggy backed on their St John’s County School District relationship which included a more robust service model, enhanced resources, and a significant reduction in broker commissions (our former broker was paid nearly $600k in annual commissions). The District and The Bailey Group also work in tandem to offer robust wellness programs to our employees based on prevention and claims trends. Within our agreement, The Bailey Group funds our employee benefits enrollment platform for both actives and retirees at a cost of $180k/year and pays for our cobra vendor services at $37k/year. The Bailey Group also led the formation and operation (in partnership with the Clay Co Education Foundation) of the Clay Co Teacher Supply Depot to mirror what they created in St John’s County. It now has a permanent Clay Co location and provides thousands of dollars of support to Clay Co teachers each year. Since its inception in 2019, the Depot has provided over $600k in supplies to Clay Co educators. While The Bailey Group appears to be providing great value to CCSD and currently serves seven other school districts in FL, we will continue to evaluate their performance on an annual basis and will need a competitive solicitation when their current contract ends.”

4. Pooled purchasing: “FLEHT (FL Educator Health Trust) continues to build solid momentum, and our HR/Benefits staff and Superintendent have already had a couple discussions with their team. Both Baker and Nassau are fully insured and neither has placed their health coverage through the Trust to this point. Instead, each pays $10k/year to be members of the Trust to evaluate if/when their respective districts are positioned to enter the self-funded FLEHT program based on their claims utilization. CCSD has saved millions of dollars in moving to a self-funded program and recently did a medical carrier/TPA RFP which generated additional annual savings of $3 million in claims discounts. We also perform an RFP each year for stop loss coverage via a consortium that currently covers 3 million lives. Finally, an RX RFP is conducted every 3 years which has resulted in greatly improved RX manufacturer rebates for the District. The advantages of FLET are very impactful for those districts that are currently fully insured or for those that aren’t leveraging buying power with purchasing coalitions. We are very open to having FLEHT propose TPA, stop loss and RX for CCSD to compare to our current fees and costs. The District continues to look for any and every way to combat the ever-rising costs of healthcare which is mostly driven by the medical and pharmacy claims within our group.”

5. Transparency: “Under the current School Board, we have made transparency a priority. We implemented a dedicated Financial Transparency section on the district’s website that provides the public with access to key financial information, including the half-cent sales tax program, the 1-mill referendum, TRIM notifications, the district’s Strategic Plan, financial transparency reports, budgets, and other important fiscal documents. In addition, every monthly School Board agenda includes budget amendments and financial items for public review and approval. We are always supportive of improving transparency and making information easier for the public to access.”

District 4

Michele Hanson (incumbent)

Referred questions to the board chair. Hanson did not answer the questionnaire individually. In an August 4 email she wrote: “I have decided to let the board chair handle the questions since many of them need clarification from the District. She will be responding from the board either today or tomorrow. We are in the bargaining process with our support personnel and upcoming bargaining for the 1% MIL with the Clay Education Association. As a board we must be very careful about what we say due to Sunshine law.” Board chair Skipper’s responses appear above under District 1. Hanson’s individual positions are therefore not on record.

Michael Rathjen

Declined to respond. The questionnaire was sent July 30 by email to the campaign contact on file with the Supervisor of Elections and by message to his campaign’s Facebook page. The Facebook message shows as read. No response was received by the August 7 deadline.

District 5

Gerald Beasley

Did not respond. The questionnaire was sent July 30 by email to the campaign contact on file with the Supervisor of Elections. Beasley’s campaign has no social media presence, so email was the only channel available. No response was received by the August 7 deadline.

Ashley Gilhousen (incumbent)

Responded August 7. Answers verbatim.

1. The mill percentage: “If voters approve the referendum, it will renew the existing one-mill investment rather than create a new tax. The Board revised the ballot language to clearly identify two important priorities: maintaining safe and secure schools and providing competitive compensation for our employees. I would not support committing a specific percentage to compensation before we know the district’s future financial needs or complete the collective bargaining process. A substantial portion of these funds is also necessary to continue our partnership with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and support other safety and security measures that protect students and employees every day. Employee compensation should continue to be determined through the established collective bargaining process, just as other salary funding is negotiated. I am committed to making Clay competitive in recruiting and retaining excellent employees, while also ensuring safe schools and responsibly stewarding taxpayer dollars.”

2. Veteran teacher pay: “Improving compensation for experienced teachers has been a priority, and I believe our actions demonstrate that commitment. Since 2022, Clay County has invested nearly $24 million in teacher salaries—the largest combined compensation increase in district history. The district has also absorbed approximately $14 million in increased health insurance costs over the past eight years rather than passing those increases along to employees. We have specifically worked to recognize experience through salary increases, mentor supplements, and targeted TSIA funding. In the 2026-27 agreement, additional local dollars were used so every teacher received a base salary increase based on years of experience, with our most experienced teachers receiving the largest increases. We need to continue addressing salary compression by advocating for recurring state funding and identifying responsible local investments that recognize experience, retain outstanding veteran teachers, and make Clay more competitive.”

3. The benefits broker: “The Bailey Group was selected in 2018 after the district, under Superintendent Addison Davis, determined it needed to reevaluate its benefits broker following significant turnover within the previous broker’s account team and while considering a transition from fully insured to self-funded health coverage. Four brokers with school district experience were evaluated, and Clay ultimately utilized The Bailey Group through its existing St. Johns County relationship. That provided additional services and resources while reducing annual broker commissions from nearly $600,000 under the previous broker. The current arrangement also provides value beyond traditional brokerage services. The Bailey Group funds the district’s employee and retiree benefits enrollment platform, valued at approximately $180,000 annually, and COBRA administration at approximately $37,000 annually. It also supports employee wellness initiatives and helped establish the Clay County Teacher Supply Depot with the Clay Education Foundation. Since 2019, the Depot has provided more than $600,000 in supplies to Clay educators. The Bailey Group currently serves seven other Florida school districts, and I support continuing to evaluate its performance and value annually. When the current contract concludes, I believe the district should use a competitive solicitation process.”

4. Pooled purchasing: “The Florida Educator Health Trust is an option worth continuing to evaluate, and district HR/Benefits staff and the Superintendent have already had discussions with FLEHT representatives. Baker and Nassau currently pay approximately $10,000 annually to participate in the Trust while evaluating whether their claims experience makes transitioning into its self-funded program advantageous. Clay has already saved millions by moving to a self-funded model. Our recent medical carrier/TPA RFP generated approximately $3 million in additional annual claims-discount savings. We also competitively procure stop-loss coverage through a consortium covering approximately three million lives and conduct an RX RFP every three years, which has significantly improved pharmaceutical manufacturer rebates. I am absolutely open to having FLEHT provide proposals for TPA, stop-loss, and pharmacy services so we can objectively compare their costs and benefits with our current arrangements. We should continually evaluate every responsible opportunity to reduce rising healthcare costs while protecting quality benefits for employees.”

5. Transparency: “Transparency and accountability to taxpayers have been priorities during my service on the School Board. The district has established a dedicated Financial Transparency section on its website where the public can access information related to the half-cent sales tax program, the one-mill referendum, TRIM notifications, the Strategic Plan, financial transparency reports, district budgets, and other important financial information. Additionally, monthly School Board agendas include budget amendments and other financial matters for public review before Board action. I believe transparency should continually improve, particularly when technology allows us to make public information easier to find and understand. I would support expanding and organizing our existing transparency resources so residents can more easily access and review financial statements, contracts, procurement information, and other important district records in one centralized location”

Veronica Powell-Faison

Responded August 7. Answers verbatim.

1. The mill percentage: “I believe voters deserve to know exactly what they are voting for before they are asked to renew this mill. I would support dedicating at least 75% of the revenue to employee compensation, including teachers and support staff, and I would support putting that commitment in writing before the referendum campaign begins. Our employees should not have to hear that funding will be used for “competitive compensation” without knowing what that actually means. I would also want the remaining funds clearly identified so taxpayers can see where every dollar is intended to go. If we are asking our community to continue paying this tax, we owe them more than general promises. We owe them a clear plan, measurable commitments, and accountability after the money is collected.”

2. Veteran teacher pay: “This is one of the biggest concerns I have heard throughout this campaign. We cannot talk seriously about retaining experienced teachers while allowing veteran educators to feel that their years of service have little financial value. I would push for a comprehensive review of the salary schedule with a specific focus on salary compression and restoring meaningful increases for experience. I would also prioritize veteran teacher compensation when allocating new recurring revenue, including millage dollars. Before approving a budget, I want the board to clearly see what it would cost to improve the salary schedule over several years instead of trying to solve the problem one year at a time. Our newer teachers deserve competitive starting salaries, but raising starting pay cannot come at the expense of the educators who have dedicated 10, 15, 20 or more years to our students.”

3. The benefits broker: “Yes. I would support putting the employee benefits consultant/broker role through a competitive process. That does not mean I am assuming the current company has done anything wrong. It means that when hundreds of thousands of dollars and employee benefits are involved, I believe competition and transparency are healthy. The district should periodically compare qualifications, services, costs, commissions, performance, and alternatives to make sure employees and taxpayers are receiving the best value possible. If the current provider is the best option, a fair competitive process should demonstrate that. If another provider can offer better service or value, the district should know that as well. My position is simple: long-standing relationships should not eliminate the need to periodically test the market. Decisions involving public resources should be transparent enough that employees and taxpayers can understand how and why a vendor was selected.”

4. Pooled purchasing: “Yes. I would support directing staff to obtain information and a quote from the Florida Educator Health Trust and make the findings public. Requesting a quote does not obligate the district to join, and I see no reason not to explore an option that could potentially reduce healthcare costs for employees and the district. I would want an apples-to-apples comparison that looks beyond premiums and examines deductibles, copays, prescriptions, provider networks, out-of-pocket maximums, and the district’s total cost. Healthcare costs directly affect an employee’s take-home pay, so we should be willing to examine every reasonable option. If the Trust is not a better choice for Clay County, the numbers should show us that. But I don’t believe we should dismiss an option without doing the research. Our employees deserve to know we have looked for the best coverage and value available.”

5. Transparency: “Absolutely. Transparency has been one of the reasons I decided to run for School Board. Public information may technically be available, but that does not necessarily mean it is easily accessible to the public. I would support creating one clearly labeled financial transparency page where residents and employees can easily find monthly financial statements, budget amendments, contracts, procurement documents, salary schedules, insurance information, and other major financial records, with previous years archived. People should not have to know the date of a particular board meeting or search through multiple agenda packets to understand how their tax dollars are being spent. I also believe the information should be presented in a way the average resident can understand. These are public dollars, and accessibility is part of transparency. My goal would be simple: if taxpayers want to know where their money is going, we should make it easy for them to find out.”

Editor’s note: Skipper described her responses in advance as “answers from the board,” and Hanson referred her questionnaire to Skipper’s response. Gilhousen’s answers, received separately the same day, cite the same figures and programs in closely similar language to Skipper’s. Libretto and Powell-Faison responded individually.

The questionnaire remains open. Any candidate who responds after the deadline will have their answers added in full, verbatim, with the date of receipt noted. Candidates may send responses to alina@clayflnews.com at any time before Election Day.

How and when to vote

Methodology: identical questionnaires were sent July 30, 2026 to all seven Active-Qualified school board candidates, by email to the campaign contact on file with the Clay County Supervisor of Elections and, where a campaign maintains a Facebook page, by message to that page, with a 150 word per answer limit and an August 7 deadline. Responses are published verbatim and unedited. ClayFLNews does not endorse candidates. Our full reporting series on district finances, with source documents, is available on this site.