Cindy Spray
Spray, 70, was elected to the District 2 seat in November 2022 and serves as board chair. She spent about 40 years in corporate roles covering manufacturing, payroll, purchasing, capital projects and team management, and served on the district's citizens financial oversight committee before joining the board. She led the Aug. 18, 2026 primary with about 34% and faces Sharon Jefferson in the Nov. 3 runoff.
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Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Education & school choice Leans agree· stated position
Spray says she supports school choice, and as a board member she voted to extend a share of the voter-approved one-mill school tax referendum money to charter schools. At the Sept. 23 League forum she said vouchers have unintended consequences, chiefly that money does not follow a student who leaves a private school mid-year, and called for more oversight of how the funds are paid out.
Library and classroom materials Mixed / neutral· stated position
Asked about library books, Spray framed the issue as compliance with state law, saying she would not put the district at risk of being fined. Her campaign emphasis is on 'getting back to the basics' of reading, writing and math. At the Sept. 23 League forum she said every state statute on books has been addressed and she works with the board attorney to keep the district in compliance.
"That's just the way it's going to be. I'm not going to, you know, risk our district being fined."
School safety approach Leans agree· stated position
Spray has pointed to the district's security measures as a strength, saying Manatee has the best security in the state, and identifies social media's effect on student behavior as the district's biggest challenge.
"We have the best security in the whole state"
No public position found on 4 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property taxes, Gender identity laws, Teacher and staff pay. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Amendment 3 (homestead property-tax amendment) — At the Sept. 8, 2026 meeting, a fellow board member spoke about projected losses to the county's voter-approved Children's Services tax if Amendment 3 passes. Spray, the board chair, said the board would not take a position on the amendment, called it "a county thing" and said the district would "wait and see."
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Voted with the 3-2 majority to terminate Superintendent Jason Wysong's contract without cause about two years into his tenure.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells; Manatee Patriots