By Elijah Penn, Editor-in-Chief
With three School Board seats up for election this year in Pasco County, people are faced with the challenging task of deciding who they will vote for on Aug. 18. While each elected official represents their respective district, their decisions affect the entire county, and, thus, any registered voter in Pasco County may cast their vote on all School Board elections.
The Lions’ Pride Media Group has interviewed all of the candidates that qualified in this election.
In Florida, school board elections are nonpartisan races, meaning candidates may not run with affiliation to a political party. Elections are staggered every four years between even and odd district numbers; not all seats are up for election at the same time.
Pasco County currently has five elected School Board seats. In 2026, the odd-numbered seats—Districts 1, 3, and 5—are up for election.
An elected school board of no less than five members is mandated by the Florida Constitution Article IX, Section 4. The duties and powers of county school boards are further laid out in Florida Statue Title XLVIII § 1001.60-1001.67.
The powers of the School Board include approving district taxes for schools, creating policies for the operation of schools, engaging in lawsuits on behalf of the district, entering into contracts, holding public meetings, and approving curriculum that aligns with state law.
Decisions made by the board must be approved by a majority vote from the board members.
Pasco School Board District 5 represents the northwest region of Pasco, including Hudson, Shady Hills, Bayonet Point, and Port Richey. The seat is currently held by incumbent Megan Harding who is running for reelection against challenger Michelle Mandarin.
Harding positions herself as a teacher with experience in the office.
“I think that everyone should vote to keep a teacher on the School Board,” said Harding.
Whereas, Mandarin runs as a mother concerned with the current state of Pasco schools.
“I am first and foremost a mom,” said Mandarin. “I would bring a fresh perspective; I’m not tied to the system.”
Harding considers her first election to the School Board, despite pressure from local politicians to withdraw from the race, one of her biggest accomplishments. She first ran for School Board in 2018 at age 28 after having been a teacher for Pasco County Schools for seven years. She also teaches at Saint Leo University.
Harding was inspired to become an educator by her first-grade teacher who made a deep impact on her through her example both in the classroom and outside of it. As a school board member, she has overseen improvements in her district, such as the Project Rise at Hudson High School.
“I grew up in Pasco County,” Harding said. “I went to school here, and now I have the privilege of serving our community that shaped me. And, so, I believe that my greatest professional accomplishment is not just winning an election; it’s earning the opportunity to serve and gain the respect of those who might have supported me at the beginning.”
Harding points to her experience on the board and in education as reasons voters should return her to office.
“I’m not learning on the job. I’m already doing the job every single day, and I’m going to continue to advocate for our strong schools, support our educators, and ensure every child in Pasco County gets that world of class education,” said Harding.
Harding’s top three priorities are expanding career and vocational pathways for students, carefully overseeing the budget, and collaborating with state and county agencies to create safer school routes.
“I’m running for School Board because I have dedicated … my life to education. I bring both classroom experience and real-world leadership,” said Harding.
Harding’s challenger, Mandarin, has lived in Florida since she was fifteen years old when her family emigrated from South America. As an immigrant, she learned about the U.S. Constitution and fell in love with its principles.
Mandarin has a history of service work and is currently employed as an office coordinator; jobs she emphasized require the ability to connect and communicate with people.
Mandarin considers herself a curious person. It was this curiosity that sparked her interest in the School Board initially. Never big into politics, she became involved in learning about the School Board and attending meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I realized there’s a gap between what parents think is actually happening and what is really going on in the School Board,” said Mandarin. “And that really didn’t sit right with me, and, so, that is why I decided to run for School Board.”
Mandarin calls her top three priorities her “ABCs.”
A stands for “Accountability,” meaning being transparent about what policies are or aren’tworking for the School Board. B stands for “Bold leadership,” or asking tough questions and making hard changes when needed. C stands for “Community engagement,” meaning fostering more participation in School Board decisions by parents and taxpayers and providing accurate information to these stakeholders.
“I want to be that connection for the community and the School Board so that people have a better understanding of what’s really going on behind the scenes,” said Mandarin.
It will be up to the Pasco County voters to decide which of these two candidates will serve as their School Board representative for District 5 on Aug. 18 during the Florida primary election.
