One of the most closely-watched local races this election year is for a seat on the Lee County School Board.

It's in District 4, which includes parts of Fort Myers, North Fort Myers and some eastern sections of Cape Coral.

Incumbent Debbie Jordan is facing off against Tony Beougher in a non-partisan election.

Jordan has been on the board for almost two terms, just under eight years.

Beougher is a businessman, running for the first time for elective office.

WGCU News asked each: why run for school board?

 "The most important thing is, is to make sure that every single one of our students have the opportunity to succeed, whether that is in pathways regarding college or pathways into trades," Jordan said. "Making sure that every decision made by the board is student-centered, and what is best for them."

"We've had some really good progress in terms of our graduation rates and some of the other measures...whether it's state testing, the improvement of schools and their own school letter grade," Beougher said. "But that progress, it doesn't mean you're at the finish line.  We still have reading levels that need to improve significantly."  

Debbie Jordan is retired after decades helping non-profit agencies throughout Southwest Florida. Recently she voted against the district budget for the coming year.

"When I am looking at the amount of cuts that were being made, and I'm seeing that most of it is coming from our instructional staff versus the district, I have a problem with that,"  Jordan explained.

Tony Beougher manages international supply chains, and believes that kind of knowledge and insight can benefit the district.

"I feel like I can apply some of that business expertise to help with a constrained budget," he said.  

Beougher said his time in the Lee schools years ago set him up for college and a strong career in business. Now he champions vocational training for some students.

"But the challenge, I think, comes in terms of communicating those opportunities back to both our kids and the parents in a timely enough fashion, so where they can take advantage of them," he said.  

Jordan agreed that vo-tech is important. But she also wants parents to get involved in a child's schooling.

"Children whose parents and families are engaged with them in the process of their education, they're going to do much better," she said.
  
Jordan noted that Beougher is endorsed by some current board members and the superintendent. Jordan said she feels she's running against a bloc that could dominate the board.

"And yes,  I am running against the machine," she said. "I would say they're a machine.  But when I look at it, I am probably the most conservative person on that board because when it comes to the dollars and cents, I am not willing to just spend money to spend money." 

Beougher said if elected, he will make up his own mind on issues, and not just follow the leader.

"I am going to be making decisions based off of my life experience, based off of what  I'm hearing from everyone else in the district, and based off of what is truly best for our kids," he said.

WGCU asked each candidate: why should someone vote for you rather than your opponent?

"Well, one, I've been there," Jordan said. "I've learned a lot, and I have always been present.  I've taken the opportunity to make sure that I understand what is happening, not just at the district level, but at the school level. "  

"Growing up I bounced around a lot between my two parents," Beougher said. "I would not have survived that childhood if it weren't for this community. There's  a lot of kids in our district that were just like me.  They need people to come alongside them and to show them that they have a future and they can make opportunities happen."

In the August primary Jordan came in first, with about 35% of the votes to 28% for Beougher. However the person who came in third has asked her supporters to vote for Beougher. There's no way to tell how many of them will follow that advice.

Beougher holds a sizable lead in fund-raising. The latest figures on the Lee County Elections Supervisor website show he has raised about $83,000, and spent about $60,000 of that. Jordan has raised about $36,000, and spent about $18,000.

The term on the school board runs for four years.

Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News, and also teaches Journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University.