With no challengers, Collier school board members Carter, Lucarelli reelected

Two Collier County School Board members will be reelected after no candidates stepped forward to run against them by the the filing deadline Friday. 

Erick Carter, District 4, and Stephanie Lucarelli, District 2, are seeking a second term in a race far less contested than years prior, including their wins back in 2016.

In Florida, unopposed candidates are not placed on the ballot. If they had challengers, voters would have cast their ballots for school board during the Aug. 18 primary.

A fluctuation in school board interest is nothing new, Dave Carpenter, a qualifying officer for the Collier Supervisor of Elections, said.

"I think it's always been that way," Carpenter said. "There's calm periods followed by periods where the status quo is challenged, so I expect to see that again in two to four years."

In Lee County:Three seats are up for re-election on the school board election in 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is a contributing factor to less involvement in countywide races this election cycle, he said.

"A lot of people have shied away from running for office," Carpenter said.

In Collier County, the total number of candidates is going to be down by about 20% for the 60 or so offices up for election this cycle, he said.

"People if they're out and about and they're socializing and they're talking with their friends, talking with others, they'll get motivated and run for an office," Carpenter said. "But in the last three months that hasn't happened."

Carpenter said "goodwill" toward the school board and Collier schools might be another reason nobody is challenging incumbents. 

Carter, who represents District 4 that includes Naples High School and Lorenzo Walker Technical High School among others, said it was not easy to run his campaign during the pandemic.

Carter, who co-owns Salon Zenergy with his wife, Anita, serves as vice chairman for the school board. He joined the board in 2016 after defeating Lee Dixon by 7,833 votes.

Throughout his first term, Carter said he watched as major events launched schools into tough territory, including Hurricane Irma in 2017, the coronavirus pandemic and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. 

"The last four years have been very challenging. We've learned a lot," Carter said. "The district has come out shining." 

From election to election, Carpenter said school board races tend to vary depending on particular interested parties. 

In 2014 and even 2016, charter schools became an issue to be taken up by candidates, including eventual board members Erika Donalds and Kelly Lichter.

"It goes back and forth," Carpenter said. "This year, that issue doesn't seem to be on the table."

That era on the school board was "fractionalized," Carpenter said.

Donalds and Lichter did not seek reelection in 2018. 

In case you missed it:Erika Donalds won't seek re-election to Collier County School Board

And:Kelly Lichter won't run for re-election to Collier County School Board

Lucarelli joined Collier's school board after her campaign arose from calls for more parent involvement in school district matters.

"When I was running at that time, we did not have one parent on the board of a child in our traditional schools," Lucarelli said. 

She defeated Louise Penta by more than 10,000 votes holding a nearly 60% majority to win her seat.

Lucarelli, who represents District 2 that includes mostly North Naples schools and serves as chairwoman for the school board, said having parents on the board was needed.

Lucarelli's four children are in Collier schools and programs. 

"I think parents can feel like a parent's voice is being heard on the school board for sure now," Lucarelli said.

Lucarelli's 2020 campaign is entirely self-funded.

"I have not really done very much because I felt when I filed, I thought, well if I don't have to ask people to donate money then I don't want to do that," Lucarelli said. 

After the coronavirus pandemic began to set in, Lucarelli said she continued her efforts to remain self-funded.

Upon official reelection in August, Carter said he wants to continue work on reducing Collier schools' debt. The school district is on target to be debt-free by 2026, a goal discussed in school board meetings this past year.

Lucarelli said keeping the school district "fiscally responsible" is crucial. 

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Carter and Lucarelli are both registered Republican voters, according to voter records. 

The school board is nonpartisan. However, in recent years the school board has elected candidates with less conservative views on public education. 

Both Lucarelli and Carter, in separate interviews, said a focus on technical colleges and programs will be an ongoing effort for them in addition to teaching students life skills.

"I have loved what I'm doing," Lucarelli said. "I feel really honored to be here and happy that I have the trust from the community to do it for another four years."

Rachel Fradette is an education reporter at Naples Daily News. Follow her on Twitter: @Rachel_Fradette, email her at rfradette@gannett.com.

2016 Primary Election:Exit poll results in Collier, Lee