Janine Plavac and Hunter Miller will compete a second time at the polls Nov. 3 after none of the candidates secured more than 50% of the vote in the Aug. 18 primary election.
The third candidate, 44-year-old Gabriel Lopez, secured about 18% of the vote and didn’t qualify for the runoff.
While he’s no longer in the running, Lopez has made his stance on the election widely known, endorsing Plavac during a Sept. 15 board meeting.
“It's just unreal to me to see how anyone wouldn't support Janine Plavac,” Lopez said, “because you have an experienced educator, an experienced leader, someone who's done a lot for the community.”
In August, Plavac, a 73-year-old private school teacher at Saint Francis Catholic Academy, secured roughly 35% of the vote. Having previously taught at Gainesville High School for 17 years, Plavac said her experience as an educator is the heart of her campaign.
“I don't think anybody should sit on a school board unless you have some educational experience,” Plavac said.
School board members should understand the dynamics of a school district, she added.
Plavac’s experience on the school board is unique. She secured the District 5 seat, which encompasses southwest Alachua County, after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her in April 2025 to fill a vacancy.
After more than a year on the board, Plavac is running for reelection — this time for the District 1 seat, which represents west Alachua County. If reelected, Plavac said she hopes to continue fighting school closures.
In March, the school board approved the closure of three schools, Foster, Williams and Alachua elementary schools, by 2028. Since then, Foster Elementary School has closed.
Plavac said she hopes to reverse the decision, halting the pending closures and reopening Foster Elementary School.
Plavac also said she wants to promote a fair wage for district employees.
The board approved an up to 4% pay increase for educators and 3% for noninstructional support staff at its Wednesday meeting. This marks the second consecutive year the district has approved a 3% to 4% raise.
Still, as of last school year, the district sits nearly $4,000 under the state’s average, according to the Florida Department of Education. And Florida ranks second to last for average teacher salaries in the United States, according to the National Education Association.
Plavac’s opponent, Miller, is a 27-year-old math teacher who secured roughly 45% of the vote in August. He said his campaign goals are influenced by his four years teaching at Bishop Middle School.
“Every experience I have guides the decisions I'm making,” he said, “and so if you want somebody who knows what it's like to be a public school teacher to make that difference, I'm that person.”
Miller hopes to offer greater support for educators struggling with a heavy workload, he said, and he wants to close the district’s literacy achievement gap.
Last school year, Alachua County had the second-highest achievement gap between white and Black students in English language arts in Florida, according to the FDOE.
If elected, Miller said he’ll offer a supportive tone and frequently visit schools to ensure he’s updated on what’s happening in the county.
Residents have until Monday to register to vote ahead of the November general election. Early voting begins Oct. 19.
Contact Grace Larson at glarson@alligator.org. Follow her on X @graceellarson.
Grace Larson is a second-year journalism student and this Fall's metro editor. This is her fourth consecutive semester on the metro desk, having previously served as commission reporter, K-12 education reporter and editor. If she's not editing an article, you can probably find Grace working out, antiquing or crafting.
