District 5, Send Jeff Holness back to the Broward County School Board

Jeff Holness was elected to represent District 5 on the Broward County School Board in a 2022 special election. District 5 covers most of central Broward County, including Northwest Fort Lauderdale, parts or all of Plantation, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Sunrise, Tamarac, and Oakland Park. The district was previously represented by Rosalind Osgood, who vacated the seat after successfully being elected to the state Senate. Holness, 52, ran unsuccessfully for school board and city commission seats several times (5 times) before getting his break in 2022. His persistence paid off, and his work on the school board speaks for itself. He has witnessed Broward County go through at least 5 superintendents (Cartwright, Wanza, Smiley, Licata, and now Hepburn), and a growing environment of hostility on the school board. Yet, he has remained stellar, if not spectacular.

Born in Jamaica, Holness came to Fort Lauderdale thirty years ago. He graduated from Dillard High School and earned a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Science degree in Education at Nova Southeastern University. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology at Florida Atlantic University. He is the cousin of former Broward County Mayor and political powerhouse Dale Holness, who lost the race for Florida's 20th Congressional District to Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick by just 5 votes in a 2021 special election.

In his questionnaire, Holness presented us with very lengthy and thoughtful responses, showing his institutional wisdom and vision. He says he's running to make Broward County an "A" district, redefine the schools, and resolve major challenges in the district. "We are in the middle of major concerns and changes in our school district." He's right, and his focus on student outcomes rather than political antics makes him the undeniable choice for these times. That's why he's endorsed by the teachers' union, firefighters, and several local, county, and state elected officials. He's raised $34,000 to defend his seat.

He's defending his seat from Windsor Ferguson, Jr, 59, of Lauderhill. Ferguson is a self-proclaimed preacher who attends Broward Theological University and attended Bethune Cookman University, where he majored in Music Education. He's had a 36-year career at Publix, where he claims he "rose from a bagger to a store manager, overseeing multiple stores that grossed over two million dollars monthly" and oversaw 200 employees. Ferguson is running because he values "community, faith, and strong leadership". There are two issues we identified with this challenger.

First, Ferguson is affiliated with the conservative Moms for Liberty, an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center says is a hate group. It is an organization that has advocated for the removal of black history from school curricula in Broward County, something his constituents vehemently oppose. To represent the blackest district in Broward County, one must be in touch with their constituents. What's more concerning, is Ferguson's claim that he lives in Lauderhill. We checked the voter files and he appears to live in Coral Springs. In his qualifying documents, he certified his address and residency in Lauderhill. Either his voter registration is wrong, or he committed perjury. Candidates are required to live in the district they are running in by election day. He should figure that out.

All registered voters are allowed to vote in the August 20th, 2024 election for this seat. The winner will serve a four-year term and draw a salary of roughly $47,000 annually.‍

Endorsements are the viewpoints of The County's Editorial Board members Elijah Manley, and Luc Saint-Genies. Endorsement may or may not reflect the personal beliefs and preferences of individual members of the Editorial Board, or The County's writers.