Bridget Ziegler

Brennan Asplen said in a letter it was with a "heavy heart" that he has accepted the end of his two years at the helm of the A-rated school district.

Bridget Ziegler was the only board member to give Brennan Asplen a performance review saying he needed improvement; the rest deemed him effective or highly effective.

The new members of the 4-1 conservative majority have not said publicly why they moved to discuss Brennan Asplen's termination at their first meeting Nov 22.

Two new conservative members were sworn into office Tuesday, creating a 4-1 conservative majority.

Political action committees with backing from GOP donors contributed money to local school board races in several states, including Florida.

Governor Ron DeSantis is reshaping school boards in Florida. He's exerting control over local school policies, including how they teach children about race and sexual orientation.

The governor endorsed three school board candidates in Sarasota County and they all won.

The school board agreed Tuesday to pay the extra fees, as the district's lead lawyer warned that even more legal costs could be on the way.