Donna Westrich
Donna Mae Westrich, 53, teaches marine science at Fletcher High School and has more than 20 years of classroom experience, including middle and high school science in Utah and New Mexico. She holds a degree in environmental science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an education degree from Fort Lewis College, and has two children in District 2 public schools. She finished second in the August 2026 primary with about 39%.
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-09-18. Report an error ↗
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.
Taxes & spending Leans disagree· stated position
Westrich says she supports the district's 1-mill property tax referendum to pay for competitive teacher salaries, and calls for working with local and state government to fully fund public schools. She pairs this with transparent budgeting and classroom-first spending.
"I will advocate for competitive pay, which includes supporting the 1-Mill referendum"
Property taxes Leans disagree· stated position
Westrich says she supports the Duval County schools 1-mill property tax referendum, a local property tax levy for school operations, as part of her plan to pay for competitive teacher salaries.
"I will advocate for competitive pay, which includes supporting the 1-Mill referendum"
Education & school choice Leans disagree· stated position
Westrich's survey says public schools should be fully funded as a budget line separate from the Family Empowerment Scholarship, and that every school receiving public money should be held to the same accountability standards as public schools.
"All schools that receive public taxpayer money must be held to the same accountability standards as public schools."
Teacher and staff pay Strongly agrees· stated position
In her Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey, Westrich lists supporting teachers and strengthening schools as her first campaign priority. She says she will advocate for competitive pay, including supporting the district's 1-mill referendum, and for sustainable workloads and funded support staff to improve retention.
"I will advocate for competitive pay, which includes supporting the 1-Mill referendum, and I will advocate for sustainable workloads to ensure quality teacher retention."
No public position found on 3 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Gender identity laws, Library and classroom materials, School safety approach. 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
- Budget, enrollment and teacher loss — Westrich describes budget shortfalls, declining enrollment and the loss of teachers as one interconnected problem and campaigns on fiscal accountability and transparency.
- Community access — Westrich has pledged monthly public community meetings if elected: 'I want my community to feel like they have a voice at the table.'
- Budget transparency — Westrich lists transparency, accountability and smart spending as a campaign priority, saying she would protect public education funding through transparent budgeting, oversight and classroom-first spending.
- Parent and community engagement — Westrich says she would increase community partnerships and hold open public workshops so parents can take part in district decisions.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Duval Teachers UnitedSources: Ballotpedia candidate page (2026-09)
- Florida Education AssociationSources: Ballotpedia candidate page (2026-09)