Osceola County School Board candidates Jay Wheeler and Greg Filak are both parents and proponents of better technical education, higher teacher pay, and improved school safety — but disagree sharply on who’d best represent District 1.
Read more Todd Blanche is narrowly confirmed as Trump’s attorney general in an overnight Senate vote
Filak, 48, said Wheeler, 67, created “turbulance” during his previous 16 years on the board and criticized his past campaign finance troubles with the state. Filak said he’d focus on education, not “personal agendas.”
Wheeler, who left the board in 2018, argued his experience makes him more qualified. “I don’t need on the job training,” he said.
The five-member school board helps oversee all public K-12 schools in the Osceola, which enroll more than 80,000 students. District 1 spans a portion of that includes Celebration.
The winner of the Aug. 18 non-partisan primary will join the board in the fall. Terry Castillo, the District 1 incumbent since 2018, is not seeking reelection.
Wheeler, a Kissimmee resident, didn’t run for reelection in 2018, he said, so that he could co-found a company specializing in underground dumpsters and solid waste storage, which required frequent travel.
When he returned to Osceola, working with at-risk children at the Zenith Accelerated Learning Academy reignited his interest in education, he said.
“I know I can help a lot of kids,” he said. “I really missed our kids. I love Osceola County.”
Wheeler admitted to taking an aggressive approach toward advocating for students in the past, once calling administrators and fellow board members “bigots” because he felt they were blaming minority children for the district’s problems.
“I’ve got a track record I can run on, not run away from,” he said.
That track record also includes at least three run-ins with the Florida Elections Commission for misuse of campaign funds.
Wheeler paid a $17,000 fine in 2011 for putting earlier personal expenses on a campaign credit card and submitting incorrect expenditure reports, which he said was a product of “sloppy bookkeeping,” the Orlando Sentinel previously reported.
By 2017, he was slapped with a total of $32,500 in fines for two other violations, according to the state agency. WFTV reported that he had used campaign funds to this time fill his gas tank, buy an iPhone upgrade and travel to Washington, D.C.
Those penalties were later reviewed and reduced to $13,000, according to the elections commission.
“Sometimes, the good guys don’t come out on top,” Wheeler said.
Though he admitted to misusing the funds, he blamed the steep fines on a former attorney for the state agency who “had it in for me.” That attorney is now disbarred and serving about six years in federal prison for child pornography, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“You can take the side of me or a kiddie porn lawyer,” Wheeler said. “I’m not in federal prison, he is. So if I’m such a bad guy, how do I have so much support?”
Read more Donalds, Jolly lead respective primaries for Florida governor
Wheeler alleged Filak has also encountered trouble with the Florida Elections Commission, though the state agency said it did not have any public records related to Filak, who denied the claim.
He further criticized Filak for being inaccessible to parents, particularly for not listing adequate contact information online. However, on websites like Voter Focus and Vote Osceola, Filak’s email and phone number are included on his public profiles.
“I’ve provided everything that’s required to be provided,” Filak said.
Wheeler’s “claim to fame” is conflict, he said, denouncing “that kind of turbulence.”
“That kind of stuff distracts from education. It distracts the story of where we need to be focusing, what we need to be doing,” added Filak, who calls himself a “next generation candidate.”
He is currently chairman of the Celebration Community Development District and vice president of a company specializing in government defense contracts.
He’s a former a volunteer firefighter and police officer, he said, and has also served on the Osceola County school district’s Business Advisory Board, which offers insight on money matters.
“We’re definitely getting into some budget challenges here,” he said, calling for better fiscal management on the school board.
Partnering with local organizations may provide budget relief and can help the district tackle other issues, such as providing sports and initiatives to help children in poverty, he said.
Raising teacher pay is also among Filak’s main priorities. He condemned “vilifying” K-12 educators over curriculum conflicts and credited them with academic gains in the district.
He emphasized the importance of school safety and technical education. Existing trade programs have been expanded, he said, but better communication with companies and students about their success rates is needed.
“Did we actually get these kids what they needed to learn, or was there still an unexpected amount of on-the-job training or other gaps that happened?” he said.
Wheeler also emphasized the importance of better technical education programs for high school students. Private companies, especially those with openings to fill, could partner with schools and help develop curriculum, he said.
“When they graduate, they can come in as apprentices with these companies,” he added.
Wheeler also said he wants to expand the district’s voluntary prekindergarten program, improve transportation — especially for after-school activities — and help teacher’s unions negotiate lower insurance rates.
Read more Todd Blanche narrowly confirmed as Trump’s attorney general in overnight vote