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<\/a><\/p>\nNew College of Florida spent much of 2025 at the center of a high-stakes tug-of-war over control of Sarasota\u2019s cultural and academic institutions, with support from DeSantis, who repeatedly floated proposals that would dramatically expand the school\u2019s footprint.<\/p>\n
The year opened with a DeSantis proposal to strip Florida State University of control over The Ringling Museum complex<\/a> and place the internationally recognized cultural assets under New College\u2019s management.\u00a0Lawmakers ultimately shelved that plan<\/a> in the Spring, along with a separate concept that would have placed New College in charge of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n But the issue resurfaced late this year in far more concrete form. DeSantis\u2019 December budget proposal revived the push<\/a> by directing a wholesale transfer of all USF Sarasota-Manatee campus facilities to New College. Around a week later, New College Trustees approved a new comprehensive plan that showcases plans for rapid expansion if certain political hurdles are cleared. And New College continues to hold out hope for a land purchase from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n The renewed proposal underscores the DeSantis administration\u2019s commitment to reshaping New College into a larger, more influential institution in Sarasota and Manatee counties.\u00a0<\/p>\n Naples Airport Authority overhaul ignites home rule fight<\/p>\n A push by Collier County lawmakers<\/a> to overhaul governance of the Naples Airport Authority became one of Southwest Florida\u2019s most contentious political storylines of 2025, exposing deep rifts between state legislators, city officials and aviation stakeholders.<\/p>\n The effort, led by Rep. Adam Botana<\/a>, aims to replace the long-standing structure of the city-appointed Naples Airport Authority with an elected board. Supporters argue the airport serves the broader region and should be accountable to all Collier County voters, while critics warn the move would dilute Naples\u2019 control over its own destiny and undermine home rule.<\/p>\n Tensions escalated after the Airport Authority rejected millions in federal aviation grants and Naples City Council attempted, but later abandoned the effort, to expand its oversight of airport development. Those decisions fueled frustration among pilots, tenants and some lawmakers, who questioned the board\u2019s composition and its dependence on city politics.<\/p>\n The dispute spilled into public view through sharply worded exchanges<\/a> between city and state leaders, highlighting broader friction over local authority, taxation and the Legislature\u2019s growing role in municipal affairs. Despite vocal opposition from the City of Naples, Botana\u2019s proposal advanced steadily, winning unanimous support from the Collier legislative delegation and clearing its first House committee<\/a> without debate.<\/p>\n The bill is positioned to place all five Airport Authority seats on the 2026 ballot if approved by the Legislature in the new year.<\/p>\n Karen Rose, Bridget Ziegler and Sarasota education politics come full circle<\/p>\n Sarasota County\u2019s education politics in 2025 were defined by reversals, returns and unresolved controversy, as familiar figures cycled back into power despite voter pushback and lingering scandal.<\/p>\n The year began with fallout from the 2024 election, when voters rejected several conservative Sarasota County School Board candidates aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis, including incumbent Karen Rose<\/a>. But DeSantis remedied that<\/a> months later<\/a> by appointing Rose back onto the School Board months later to fill a vacancy, effectively restoring her to office despite her recent electoral defeat.\u00a0<\/p>\n The dance did not stop there. Rose\u2019s return placed her once again alongside Bridget Ziegler, whose influence on the School Board has persisted despite national scrutiny. Ziegler, a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, remained on the board after a 2023 sex scandal involving her husband, former Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, made headlines and fractured political circles. That dispute continued in 2025, when the Ziegler\u2019s sued the City of Sarasota<\/a> and police detectives alleging constitutional violations stemming from an investigation that ultimately produced no criminal charges.<\/p>\n Although Rose once called for Ziegler\u2019s resignation in the early days of the scandal, the two women reemerged in leadership roles by year\u2019s end. Once re-installed by DeSantis, Rose helped return Ziegler<\/a> to the School Board Chairmanship. Simultaneously Rose herself advanced through confirmation to a powerful regional post on the State College of Florida Board of Trustees, another DeSantis appointment.<\/p>\n Together, their political resurgence underscores a broader theme that defined Sarasota\u2019s education landscape in 2025. Voter backlash did not translate to lasting change, and controversies that once seemed career-ending have become ammo in court.<\/p>\n Schools of Hope expansion triggers backlash in Sarasota and across the state<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s Schools of Hope program emerged as one of the most volatile education fights of 2025, with Sarasota County becoming an early focal point<\/a> for the growing backlash against a state mandate that allows charter schools to claim space in public school buildings.<\/p>\n Budget language approved for the 2025\u201326 fiscal year dramatically broadened the program, allowing \u201cHope operators\u201d to claim space inside any public school deemed underused, regardless of academic performance or local approval. Because every school district contains an opportunity zone, the change effectively opened thousands of campuses statewide to potential charter incursions.<\/p>\n In Sarasota County, Miami-based charter networks quickly signaled interest in occupying space inside campuses with strong academic track records. The letters of intent stoked fears that successful public schools could be forced to share classrooms, cafeterias and playgrounds with outside operators with no ties to the community, and without compensation for use of space and resources.<\/p>\n DeSantis defended the policy<\/a> as a targeted intervention aimed at struggling communities, insisting most Floridians would never notice the schools being created. But data shows the program\u2019s reach extends well beyond traditionally underserved areas. By Fall, bipartisan frustration had spilled into the Legislature. A bill filed by Sen. Darryl Rouson<\/a> aims to repeal the co-location requirement entirely, arguing the policy amounted to an unfunded mandate that forced districts to subsidize private operators.<\/p>\n Sarasota\u2019s experience is one of many similar tales in communities across the state, forcing communities to scramble to either respond or fight to protect classrooms from what many view as forced takeovers. Rouson\u2019s SB 424<\/a> will be one to watch during the 2026 Legislative Session.<\/p>\n Fort Myers immigration vote triggers Uthmeier<\/p>\n In Fort Myers, a split City Council vote rejected an agreement with federal immigration authorities triggered a rapid response from state leaders. Attorney General James Uthmeier warned the city risked being labeled a \u201csanctuary\u201d jurisdiction<\/a> and suggested Council members could face removal from office. The standoff highlighted how little room local governments had to maneuver on immigration policy once Tallahassee drew a hard line.<\/p>\n Florida land purchase ends in court dispute over contaminated land<\/p>\n In Collier County, pushback took a more personal note. Parker Collier, matriarch of a powerful real estate family, sued a former adviser for defamation after allegations surfaced that contaminated land had been sold to the state<\/a> as part of a major conservation deal. The case opened a bitter dispute that blends environmental concerns, political influence and the limit of public accountability on high-dollar land deals.<\/p>\n Fort Myers Beach voters force the recall of two Council members<\/p>\n On Fort Myers Beach, voters delivered one of the rarest rebukes in local politics: A successful recall. Residents ousted Town Council members Karen Woodson and John King<\/a> \u2014 although King\u2019s case is tied up in court \u2014 over support for a controversial high-rise redevelopment at the site of the Red Coconut RV Park after it was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. The vote marked the county\u2019s first successful recall in decades.<\/p>\n Enos resignation opens door for Karen Rose<\/p>\n Board Chair Tim Enos<\/a> resigned mid-year to return to his former role as chief of the Sarasota County Schools Police Department. His departure reopened questions about continuity and control, temporarily leaving the board evenly split and handing Gov. DeSantis another appointment to tilt the board\u2019s direction. He used that appointment on Rose.<\/p>\n Sarasota school board debates anti-discrimination policy<\/p>\n Board members also reconsidered the district\u2019s long-standing anti-discrimination policy,<\/a> weighing whether to replace explicit protections for specific groups with language more in line with federal guidance under President Donald Trump. Critics warned the change could weaken safeguards for vulnerable students and staff, while supporters framed it as compliance amid legal and political uncertainty.<\/p>\n Tension over Tom Edwards support for inclusion<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Florida_Politics_and_Influence_Magazine_728x90.jpg\")
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