- Janine Plavac, currently representing District 5, announced her candidacy for the District 1 School Board seat in Alachua County this year.
- Tina Certain, the current District 1 seat holder, is running for the Alachua County Commission District 2 seat instead of reelection.
- Janine Plavac was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April 2025 to fill the District 5 vacancy left by Kay Abbitt's resignation.
- Two candidates, Annie Muscato and Jancie Vinson, have filed to run for the District 5 seat, with Vinson having run unsuccessfully twice before.
A fourth candidate has entered the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) race.
Janine Plavac, the current holder of the District 5 school board seat, told Mainstreet on Wednesday that she intends to run for the District 1 seat this year – a position currently held by Tina Certain.
Plavac’s and Certain’s seats are among three on the school board that are up for reelection this year, with District 3 (Sarah Rockwell) being the other.
Rockwell announced in December that she will be seeking reelection, while Certain has filed to run for the Alachua County Commission District 2 seat.
Plavac was appointed to the District 5 seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April 2025 to fill the vacancy of Kay Abbitt, who resigned in December 2024. Plavac is currently serving the remainder of Abbitt’s term, which ends this year.
In an emailed statement to Mainstreet on Wednesday, Plavac explained her decision to run in this year’s school board election.
“As an Alachua County School Board member, I have been dedicated to thoughtful decisions affecting anyone that might be struggling with the education processes for our children within our community,” she said. “From students, parents, administrators and every employee, I believe in listening first, analyzing and making informed decisions. I respect that every voice matters.”
So far, no one has filed to challenge Plavac for the District 1 seat. Rockwell is also currently the lone candidate for the District 3 seat after Pamela Marshall-Koons withdrew from the school board race in December.
Currently, two candidates have filed to run for the District 5 seat – Annie Muscato and Jancie Vinson. This is Vinson’s third time running for the school board after unsuccessful campaigns in 2010 and 2014.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.