Sally Hunt, the first-term School Board member representing District 1, has said she’s planning on stepping down from her seat once she and her husband move. Hunt, who has alluded to her potential resignation since the first months of her tenure. “It’s a fluid situation,” she said.
The point came up in a workshop meeting on Tuesday when the Board was discussing security measures. Hunt has voiced her concerns about security in the past, and was a part of the push add law enforcement presence at the workshops. When the Board was discussing the costs and benefits of that change, Hunt made it known that she wasn’t long for the Board and thus her concerns would soon be moot.
In recent meetings Hunt has made a habit of attending via speaker phone instead of physically. She’s said in the past that security concerns have greatly affected her attitude toward the job.
Hunt confirmed in a text message interview that while she is 100% committed to stepping down when the time is right, she doesn’t yet know when that will be. She and her husband are planning on selling the home they have in Palm Coast and moving, at which point Hunt says she’ll depart. Because the timeline of that process is unclear, so is the timing of Hunt’s resignation. She was also unsure as of Wednesday how much notice she’d be able to provide the Board when the time comes.
Hunt, who was elected in 2022 alongside Christy Chong and Will Furry, was at first expected to be a de-facto third vote on major issues with Colleen Conklin and Cheryl Massaro. That has not been the case in Hunt’s year-plus on the Board, with her establishing herself as a fluid vote who at times sides with her fellow freshmen members. Decisions like the firings of ex-Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt and Board Attorney Kristy Gavin have been greatly impacted by Hunt.
Hunt’s term expires in 2026, meaning whoever takes over for her after resignation will likely have multiple years of influence on the School Board. The last time a Board member resigned was Andy Dance, who left to successfully run for County Commission in 2020. His replacement, Jill Woolbright, was one of the most influential and controversial Board members in recent memory.
Can’t be soon enough.