This story is part of a statewide partnership of 27 nonpartisan newsrooms and universities working to help Florida voters make informed decisions in the 2026 school board elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership at floridaelections.org.
The August primary is an important one in Osceola County for many reasons; one of them is to elect 40% of the policy-making School Board for the School District of Osceola County.
With their mail-in ballots, during early voting that starts on Aug. 7 or on the Aug. 18 Election Day, voters in Districts 1 and 3 will select new board members.
In total, four seats were scheduled to be up for election this year, but incumbents Heather Kahoun and Paula Bronson in Districts 4 and 5 did not draw any opposition and will each get second terms on the Board.
In District 1, voters will choose between the seat’s former four-term Board member and a political newcomer who sits on the Celebration community’s development district board.
Jay Wheeler sat on the Board from 2002-18. While his supporters praised him as an outspoken fiscal watchdog with bold strategies for raising student achievement, his tenure was overshadowed at times by campaign finance disputes, ethics complaints, and conflicts with fellow board members and leadership.
“I do not need on the job training and can hit the ground running with a proven track record of accomplishments,” he said.
Wheeler, 67, listed expanding career and technical education, expanding pre-kindergarten programs that prepare students for their first school year and increasing student participation in after school activities.
Students involved with after-school activities do better in school and are happier. The problem for most is transportation. When I was on the School Board I worked with Lynx to change some bus routes for a 5:30 p.m. detour on school days to Celebration and Poinciana High Schools. Sadly this ‘activity bus’ program is no longer in place. I’d get on this right away.”
Filak, 48, touts 30 years of public service that includes years as a police officer, volunteer fireman and EMT, supervisor and Chairman of Celebration’s town board, Vice Chair of Osceola County school district’s Business Advisory Board and as a community volunteer for the past 15 years in Osceola County as a youth sports coach and Cub Scout leader. “Osceola deserves a school board member who is a demonstrated community leader who can build consensus without controversy nor ethics violations,” he said.
He listed tackling the challenges of Osceola’s “massive” growth, safety and security in schools and expanding career and technical education as priorities.
Filak has garnered the endorsement of the Osceola Fund for Public Education, which is the district’s teachers union political action committee, and outgoing District 1 board member Terry Castillo, while Wheeler’s been endorsed by the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association (CFHLA).
Filak has raised nearly double ($56,800, including $30,000 of his own funds, to almost $30,000) the campaign contributions as Wheeler.
District 3 voters in Poinciana and to the south and west of Kissimmee will choose between a pair of political newcomers, former mental health professional Alyssa Noel and business owner Natalie Guzman, to fill the seat.
Educator Anthony Cook won election in 2024, but stepped down in December 2025 citing difficult family issues. Governor Ron DeSantis assigned Jolene Shieve to fill the seat in February, but she announced she would not be campaigning for it.
Noel, 38, Chair of the Bellalago Academy School Advisory Council and a member of the Osceola School District’s School Safety Committee, said improving student achievement, prioritizing student safety and well-being, strengthening partnerships with parents, and preparing students for lifelong success are her priorities.
“When families trust their schools, they are more likely to stay invested in public education,” she said. “We must continue building on the foundation of significant investments in school safety, but it is not a one-time achievement; it requires ongoing attention, collaboration, and adaptation to new challenges.”
Guzman, 40, said her focus points are on preparing students for financial literacy and career readiness, student safety and well-being and teacher retention and support.
“As a business owner, I know the importance of financial responsibility, accountability, budgeting, and making decisions that create long-term success,” she said. “I believe those same principles should be reflected in education — from how we manage resources to how we prepare our students for life beyond graduation.
Guzman, including $10,000 of her own funds, has a near 3-to-1 fundraising edge over Noel ($19,700 to $6,780), who also has the CFHLA endorsement.
