Miami-Dade School Board Race Turns Into Rout
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – What was expected to be a competitive race for the Miami-Dade School Board District 5 turned into a rout.
Susie Castillo and Daniel Espino were vying to fill the seat left open by School Board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla, who is running for the Legislature.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Castillo easily defeated Espino by a 64 percent to 36 percent margin.
Castillo, 52, is assistant to the mayor of Doral. She previously worked as an administrative assistant in a school-district regional office and the superintendent's office, and as an aide to a former board member, Frank Bolaños.
The candidates agreed on a lot of major issues: the need to fund $2 billion in deferred maintenance in schools; the need to integrate technology into the classroom; a push for more partnerships between the district and local businesses; and a concern that students are spending too much time on preparing for and taking tests.
The new School Board member will be paid $38,500 a year for a four-year term.
(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)
