The School Board of Alachua County voted unanimously to hand the reigns of board chair to Sarah Rockwell, after swearing in Board Member Thomas Vu for his first term and Board Member Leanetta McNealy for her fourth term. The board also voted to make Board Member Tina Certain vice chair at the annual organization meeting on Tuesday night. 

Diyonne McGraw, who was defeated by Vu in an August election, served as chairperson last year, preceded in the position by Certain. McNealy served as vice chair both years. 

Board members also divided up committee assignments, keeping them largely the same as last year, with McGraw’s posts passed to Vu. Vu also took on the Legislative Committee Liaison to the Florida School Board Association position, which was previously held by Rockwell. 

During the meeting, board members made a few last changes to the committee assignments, moving Rockwell to the Alachua County Planning Commission Board instead of Board Member Kay Abbitt, at Abbitt’s request. To lighten Rockwell’s load, Vu volunteered to take the city of Newberry Planning Board position, and Certain took the Health Insurance Committee position from Rockwell to group it with her existing position as a Florida School Boards Insurance Trust trustee. 

At Certain’s request, the board also added additional meetings to December 2024 and January 2025, set for Dec. 10 and Jan. 14. After that, Certain’s unanimously approved motion included plans for the board to continue meeting on the first and third Tuesday of each month, with the addition of a third meeting or workshop to each month between January and June, times and dates to be determined. 

An hour before the organizational meeting, a full audience of over 100 attendees filled the board room for a swearing-in ceremony. 

Attendees included multiple Alachua County and city of Gainesville commissioners, as well as Vu and McNealy’s family, friends and other supporters. 

After taking their oaths of office, Vu and McNealy reiterated their campaign promises. 

McNealy, who has served 12 years on the school board, said the district has already accomplished much, but work still needs to be done. She said she will continue to prioritize children, supporting a salary increase for all employees’ salaries, and increasing options for vocational technology and career education. 

“I wouldn’t be able to name all goals and objectives that have been met here in this district, but please know they are significant,” McNealy told the attendees. “However, I state it: there is still work to accomplish. With the help of my four other colleagues, we can propel this school district to higher heights.” 

Vu also pointed to improvements the district needs to make, saying he would push against sliding academic performance and work for a strong budget and respect and resources for teachers. He said he wants to set high expectations for administrators with high salaries. 

“I believe the age of deference is over, and it’s not enough just to rely on vague assurances from leaders,” Vu said. “We have to make sure we’re engaging in real accountability and community engagement, because it’s our community that must guide our decisions, and the community and this board should be the ones that set direction for this district, and that means asking tough questions and seeking honest answers.”