Bridget Ziegler

Opponents of the proposed contracts say Vermilion Education has no track record and were brought forward without any competitive bidding process.

Tom Edwards, the sole moderate on the five-member board, has voiced his opposition to the deal. It's unclear where the other three members stand.

Tom Edwards says his opposition to the law that restricts classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to the state's school voucher expansion program, has made him a target for his conservative opponents.

The board members picked by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to oversee development around Walt Disney World announced on Tuesday that they didn't quite have the power they thought they had.

Christian Ziegler, the new chair of the Republican Party of Florida, told the Florida Roundup that last November’s landslide victory served as a mandate for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP to continue its conservative agenda.

Among the changes it suggested during its first meeting are eliminating two cities that were created when the Florida Legislature in 1967 approved the theme park resort's self-governance.

A parents' rights activist, a Christian nationalist and three lawyer donors now have control over Walt Disney World's development capabilities, thanks to a bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The law requires the governor to appoint a five-member board to oversee government services that the district provides in its sprawling theme park properties in Florida.

Ziegler will replace state Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota, who decided not to run for reelection after holding the state chair position since 2019.

School boards have grown increasingly partisan, after more than two dozen of the candidates endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis won seats this election cycle.

The deal comes after two new school board members were sworn in, creating a 4-1 conservative majority.

Superintendent Brennan Asplen will not be fired, but the board voted 4-1 for him to negotiate his resignation package, which according to his contract calls for at least $87,000 in severance.