Polk School Board member misses most of meeting for political fundraising event

For most of the April 23 meeting of the Polk County School Board, one of the seats remained empty on the dais bearing a logo with the phrase “Students First.”

Six of the seven board members occupied their places, along with Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid and General Counsel Wes Bridges, as the meeting proceeded through the Pledge of Allegiance, led by a fifth-grader named Henry, the recognition of new administrators, a discussion of projected charter school enrollment and other considerations.

Justin Sharpless arrived toward the end of the 101-minute meeting, missing his opportunity to join the other six in presenting member reports.

It later emerged that Sharpless, a first-term board member, had been delayed from reaching the meeting in Bartow by his attendance at a different sort of gathering in Lakeland.

Photos posted on social media showed Sharpless taking part in a campaign fundraiser that evening for state Rep. Jennifer Canady, R-Lakeland. The private event, apparently held at a home on Lake Hollingsworth, attracted such prominent local Republicans as Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, state Sen. Colleen Burton of Lakeland and state Rep. Josie Tomkow of Polk City.

Dawn McDonald, a candidate for the Mulberry City Commission, posted a photo of herself standing beside a smiling Sharpless, as first reported by Billy Townsend, a former School Board member and independent writer.

Positions on the Polk County School Board are nonpartisan, though local parties have become more open in supporting candidates over the past decade. In 2022, Sharpless was one of four candidates promoted by the Polk County Republican Party. He defeated fellow Lake Wales resident Sara Jones, 51.4% to 48.6%.

Polk County School Board members receive $47,500 annually, along with health-care benefits. The board typically holds one or two work sessions and one official meeting per month, and some board members also serve on committees.

'I fully support and endorse her re-election'

Sharpless implicitly acknowledged attending the fundraiser for Canady when contacted by The Ledger. He responded to questions with an emailed statement:

"I take great pride in serving the residents of Polk County. I am proud of the future Speaker of the House of Representatives Jennifer Canady. I fully support and endorse her re-election along with Sheriff Grady Judd, Representative Tomkow, Senator Burton and many others.”

Sharpless attended a School Board work session held earlier in the day.

Canady, the wife of Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady, was chosen last year by fellow Republicans as the presumptive speaker of the House for the 2028-30 term. A longtime teacher and program director at Lakeland Christian School, she is best known statewide as a co-sponsor of a law passed last year that bars abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with extremely limited exceptions.

That law took effect Wednesday after being delayed by court challenges.

Canady has reported more than $137,000 in campaign contributions. She faces a challenge from Bonnie Patterson-James, a Lakeland Democrat. Patterson-James has reported about $10,300 in contributions.

'Attend the meetings we pay them to attend'

Stephanie Yocum, president of the Polk Education Association, attended the April 23 board meeting, speaking during the public comment period and urging the district to begin negotiations on a new wage contract for school employees. About 100 teachers and school staffers joined her, wearing black union T-shirts and applauding when she finished speaking.

Silver Garland Awards: 14 Polk County seniors honored for special service to the community

Video from the meeting shows Sharpless arriving shortly after Yocum began her address at roughly the 1:27 mark, 14 minutes before the end.

“I just think, in general, we expect our elected officials, whether they're a School Board member or a county commissioner or a House of Representatives seat or whatever, to attend the meetings that we pay them to attend,” Yocum said when asked about Sharpless. “And so I hope that this was just a one-time incident, that this doesn't become a pattern with any of our elected officials, especially our School Board members, because they get paid almost what a beginning teacher makes to attend these meetings and to make decisions for our school district.”

Board member Rick Nolte missed a work session on April 9. Nolte has alluded to health issues at other meetings.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk School Board member misses most of meeting for political event