Appointed to the Polk County School Board in November 2025 by Gov. Ron DeSantis and now running for a full term. A Bartow native, running on student achievement, teacher pay and parental choice.
En sus propias palabras
- Raising student achievement through a competitive education that prepares students for the modern economy. fuente
- "Recruiting and retaining great teachers through modernizing our compensation system and rewarding effectiveness." fuente
- Empowering parents with quality educational options and stronger involvement in their children's schooling. fuente
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Kate Wallace is a Bartow native and the sitting Polk County School Board member for District 3. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to the seat in November 2025 to serve the remainder of Rick Nolte's term, which expires this November — which is why the seat is on the 2026 ballot and why she is running for a full four-year term.
She is Director of State Government Affairs for Spectrum and brings two decades of experience in business, advocacy and education policy. She holds an International Baccalaureate diploma from Bartow Senior High School, a bachelor's degree in public relations from the University of Florida, and a certificate in nonprofit management from the Harvard Kennedy School.
In her own words: "I grew up in Polk County Public Schools, and my family and I have spent more than 35 years working to improve them."
About this office
The Polk County School Board sets district policy, adopts the school budget, and hires the superintendent. Board members are elected by district. School board races are nonpartisan on the ballot, which means the party label does not appear next to the name — so knowing who the Republicans are is left to voters and to organizations like this committee.
The Polk County REC has made no endorsement in this race. More than one Republican is running, and the committee's rules keep it neutral until a nomination is settled — so both candidates are listed here on equal terms.