Election 2024: Meet Lee School Board District 7 candidate Joshua Molandes

The Lee County School Board has three of its seven seats on the ballot in the primary election Aug. 20.

Three candidates are vying to represent District 7. Current LCSB member Cathleen Morgan is not running for reelection this year, leaving the seat open.

Joshua Molandes, a 43-year-old candidate, has worked as a waiter, bartender, welder, truck driver and carpenter before pursuing a career in law. Now retired from his role as a trial attorney, he operates as a business consultant and owner.

Originally from Texas, Molandes moved to Florida in 2011 to attend Ave Maria School of Law in Naples and has been a Lee County resident since 2016. He is married and has four children, two of whom are currently attending Fort Myers High School. Molandes said he aims to leverage his varied experiences to contribute to the Lee County educational system.

Here's what you should know about the Lee County School Board race and a Q&A with candidate Joshua Molandes.

The primary is Aug. 20. Unless one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates with the most votes will face off in a runoff Nov. 5.

Elections: Mail and early voting for Lee County 2024 primary election: Here's what you need to know

About the Lee County School Board District 7 position

• The seat is one of seven on the Lee County School Board, which sets policies and rules for the District's administration

• Each board member serves and represents the entire Lee School District, not just their school district residence area

• How much does it pay? Lee County School Board members earn a little over $40,000 annually

• How long is the term: Four years

Candidate Molandes raised $17,000. Current LCSB member contributed.

As of the latest report July 19, Molandes's campaign raised $17,400, of which he spent roughly $12,400.

Notable contributions came from current District 7 LCSB member Morgan and Florida Justice Association’s executive director Jeffrey Porter. The Blue Sky Consulting Group, a public policy and economics consulting firm, also contributed to his campaign.

Who is Molandes running against in the 2024 primary election?

Molandes is competing against Vanessa Chaviano and Sheridan Chester in the primary election. If one candidate doesn't secure the majority of votes during the primary election, the top two candidates will continue in a runoff election Nov. 5.

More: Who is running for the District 7 seat on the Lee County School Board? What we know

Here are candidate Molandes's answers to our questions:

The Lee County School District is expecting significant student growth and may need to build 10 new schools. How would you address the challenges of managing the growth illustrated in the District's new 10-year plan while ensuring all students receive a quality education?

The truth is that as long as students continue to move to SWFL, we will continue to have to raise money to build schools to fit them. At this point, the district is using the half-cent sales tax to help build schools. It will have to be re-evaluated when the time comes to see if it is needed and the voters of Lee County will ultimately decide.

How would you address concerns about teacher retention and recruitment in Lee County, especially considering that neighboring counties offer higher salaries?

Teacher pay must be raised.

More: Lee and Collier school districts struggle to fill teaching vacancies, retain teachers

Do you believe that the Lee County School District is doing enough to ensure the safety and security of students and staff on school grounds? What changes, if any, would you advocate for in terms of school safety policies and procedures?

At this point, safety precautions are in place. I agree with continuing to bolster the guardianship program in place.

What is your stance on the recent controversy surrounding the “Hate Has No Home Here” banner displayed in a Lee County classroom? How would you approach similar situations involving potentially controversial materials or displays in schools?

Regarding the political ideology at school, we should be focused on learning and improving the reading rates rather than pushing politics.

More: Protest, counter protest, hate has no home here flag, traffic, development | Letters

How would you address the concerns of parents and community members who have expressed dissatisfaction with certain books or materials available in school libraries? What role do you believe parents should play in shaping curriculum and library collections?

Regarding books, there has always been limitations on what is allowed in school libraries. Parents should have the ultimate say on what their kids are exposed to. There are major differences between what should be allowed in elementary schools versus middle schools versus high schools. I do not believe that anything hyper-sexual should be allowed in elementary schools.

More: How do Collier and Lee schools decide which books to ban? Here's what we know

The Lee County School District recently revised its “Safe Space” designation stickers, removing the rainbow flag and language specifically mentioning LGBTQ+ inclusivity. What is your opinion on this change, and how important do you believe it is for schools to be welcoming and inclusive environments for all students?

All schools should be a safe environment for learning for all students. School grounds should be a place for learning, not hyper-sexualized for any community of people. There is no reason to single any one group of people out over another. Again, we need to focus on teaching rather than pushing any political ideology.

What are your thoughts on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom? How should the school district approach AI to enhance education while addressing concerns about plagiarism and academic integrity?

AI should be left out of the classroom until higher grade levels. You don't start teaching math with a calculator in hand. Allowing AI in the classroom at all will just create scenarios where students are tempted to cheat. With that said, after a skill or subject has been mastered, tools and technology can be used.

Given the new state bill allowing school districts to opt into a program with volunteer chaplains, what are your views on the role of religion in schools? How should the district handle the inclusion of religious activities while ensuring they respect the diverse beliefs of all students and comply with legal requirements?

I would follow the law here. As long as the chaplains are not forced upon the students, I believe the more resources, the better. I believe the chaplains should be made known to the students but no effort to force them upon the students should be tolerated.

What are the top priorities for your district, and what new initiatives will you focus on to improve the local education system?

The most important issue facing Lee County right now is teacher hiring and retention. We must put all efforts into making this the priority. If we cannot staff the classroom properly, nothing else can be fixed. We are not improving reading levels if we don't have teachers to teach reading. Plain and simple.

What do you want voters to know about you, and why should they vote for you instead of your opponents?

I am a qualified candidate. My undergrad is in Science/Molecular Genetics with honors. I graduated in the top of my class from law school. I have served the injured in this community for a decade. I have ran multi-million dollar businesses and worked with teams of people on many projects. I will make the same effort for the students, parents, teachers, staff and taxpayers of Lee County. If you do or you don't vote for me and I win, you will have a representative that knows how to serve.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Q&A with Lee School Board District 7 candidate Joshua Molandes