Parents react to first elected Lee County Schools superintendent

For the first time in more than 40 years, Lee County voters elected their superintendent of schools: Dr. Denise Carlin.

Up until this election that position had been an appointed one.

Denise Carlin just became the first elected superintendent in Lee County since 1974. It’s a historic decision, but one that not many parents seem to be aware of.

“It concerns me,” said parent Gillian Melendez Harris about parents who didn’t cast a vote. “It, unfortunately, doesn’t surprise me. I think there is a lot of, for lack of a better word, ignorance when it comes to politics and what goes on in the community.”

Harris was the only one of over 30 parents WINK News reporter Amy Galo spoke with Wednesday who agreed to talk on camera about the superintendent race.

Only three other parents told Amy off-camera that they knew about the superintendent race.

“I hope that moving forward, people do educate themselves more. I hope that they do advocate more for themselves and for our students,” said Melendez Harris.

While Harris didn’t vote for Carlin, she is optimistic that the long-time educator will do her best to help the students of Lee County.

Carlin is a retired Lee County educator who spent 32 years in the district as a teacher, principal and later chief of staff. She is also a mom to two children.

Carlin has said she is focused on empowering students and making sure parents have a voice.

“I am hopeful that she does the right thing and is proactive in listening to the community and doing what we need her to do for the students, all the students,” said Melendez Harris.

Carlin won just over 67% of votes, beating her democratic opponent Victor Arias.

Out of the 396,591 ballots cast in the 2024 election in Lee County, around 369,000 cast a vote for superintendent.

Some parents WINK spoke to admitted to not feeling educated enough about the superintendent race when they cast their vote or just leaving it blank.

Others told WINK they hope next time around, more parents are aware, do the research and cast their vote.

“I hope this is a wake-up call for people in the community to know that we have rights, we can speak up,” said Melendez Harris.

Carlin will now serve a four-year term ending in 2028.