Cathy Moon has won election to the Flagler School Board, defeating former member Jill Woolbright. The two appeared on the ballot in Tuesday’s primary election, one of three School Board races put before Flagler County voters. With her victory Tuesday, Cathy Moon will serve on the Flagler School Board from 2026 to 2030.
“I was hopeful but I was not confident that we would win,” Moon said. “Because I know the mathematical equation here. So I’m very excited that the Flagler voters have decided to ignore some of the tactics that have been used in the past successfully and they decided to send me to sit on the School Board. I’m excited to work with LaShakia Moore and the rest of the Board and to move this county forward so that we have the best possible schools for our kids.”
Though all Florida School Board races are nonpartisan, the District 1 race became a de-facto political bout. Flagler County Democrats largely rallied behind Moon, as did a significant amount of Republicans. False images circulated putting Moon next to LGBTQ+ Pride flags and calling her ‘woke’. Woolbright was backed by a large portion of the county’s Republicans, having been endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022.
“I can’t assume that [Woolbright] was behind some of the antics that occurred over the weekend, so I won’t say that she was.” Moon said. “Someone that wanted her to win was definitely behind it. But she and I got along fine.”
Jill Woolbright was initially elected to the School Board in 2020 to serve the final two years on Andy Dance’s term after he left to run for County Commission. She defeated Vincent Lyon with with 59.32% of the vote. In 2022 when Woolbright sought a full four-year term, she lost to Sally Hunt with only 48.68%.
Ever since the 2022 election, the District 1 seat has been a consistent source of uncertainty and strife. Hunt resigned from office in 2024 after months of attending meetings only by phone, leaving the seat vacant for a month. Gov. DeSantis’s appointed replacement, Derek Barrs, departed for a role in President Donald Trump’s Department of Transportation in 2025. The Flagler School Board has been down a seat ever since.
