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Candidates for the Hillsborough County School Board race spoke in Ybor City Friday during a political forum.
Julie Magill is challenging incumbent Nadia Combs for District 1. Angela Pimento Fullwood is challenging incumbent Jessica Vaughn for District 3. Bonnie Lambert is also running for District 3, but did not come to the forum.
They were asked about various topics regarding education at the nonpartisan political forum Tampa Tiger Bay Club.
Vaughn spoke about obstacles facing public education.
“The biggest challenge that we’re going to be facing is the total attack on traditional public education. Defunding it, culture wars that are driving our teachers out of the classroom, the fact that we cannot pay a livable wage, and that we’re losing teachers to other counties that can offer things.”
Another key topic was book bans. Julie Magill justified bans, saying she’s seen graphic pornography in some banned books.
“I do not support having any of these banned books in a school that contain pornography. I am not talking about banning the Bible, or classic literature, I am simply talking about straight-up pornography that does not belong in any school classroom.”
Nadia Combs countered Magill.
“And let’s just be clear: no one wants pornography in our classrooms. We don’t have pornography in our classrooms.”
Another topic on the table was the Florida Legislature’s state preemptions of local law. Angela Pimento Fullwood believes that the legislature may have reached too far.
“Legislation should create the laws, and allow for school boards to take what the laws are, and create policies and procedures that best fit the county in which they serve, which they know, which they understand, and which we love.”
The elections are scheduled for August 20th.
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