Continuing the discussion on the 2026 St. Johns County election, let’s focus on the School Board races today.
School Board positions in St.Johns County are Non-Partisan positions. Unlike the Board of County Commissioners where every one in the county votes for Commissioners, School Board positions are voted on only by the voters in the specific District the Board Member represents.
School Board elections begin in the Primary Election. They are open to all voters in the District with an open seat and will appear on all ballots, regardless of party affiliation. So you do NOT have to be registered with a particular Party to vote for these non-partisan positions.
If a race has 3 or more candidates, the election may move on to the General. If a candidate gets a majority (50% + 1 vote) that candidate will win in the Primary. If none of the 3 gets a majority, the top 2 candidates move on to the General Election.
This shows why it is important to vote in the Primary AND the General Election!
This year we have open seats in Districts 1, 3, and 4. Those seats are currently held by Beverly Slough (D1), Jennifer Collins (D3), and Kelly Barrera (D4.) We’ll walk through the candidates in each district.
Beverly Slough and Jennifer Collins have both filed to run again; Ms. Barrera has not.
Information below is provided to assist you with your own research and is not an endorsement of any particular candidate.
District 1
Candidates for District 1 are:
Kevin Allen – Mr. Allen has a FB page: Kevin Allen FB Page and a website Kevin Allen website
He has begun conducting small group meetings in District 1 for voters to learn more about him.
Matthew (Matt) Ross – The candidate appears to be using his personal FB page to advocate for School Board. I was not able to find an independent FB page or website.
Beverly Slough – Ms. Slough has served on the School Board since 2002 and is currently the Board Chair. I was not able to find a separate FB page or website for Ms. Slough’s campaign.
District 3
Jennifer Collins is currently unopposed.
District 4
Leif Jonassen III – Mr. Jonassen has a FB campaign site, Leif Jonassen FB Page and a website Leif Jonassen Website
Tammie McClafferty – Dr. McClafferty (Doctorate in Organizational Leadership) has a website: Tammie McClafferty website
Jillian Tozer – Ms. Tozer has a website: Jillian Tozer Website
As you consider the right choice for your vote in District 1, 3, or 4, I encourage you to review their websites. Understand their motivation for running for this important role, and what their vision for the School System may mean for the future of education in St. Johns County.
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Beth Tate 