CLAY COUNTY – The Clay County District School District board race encompassing Green Cove Springs and Lake Asbury is up for grabs with a two-term incumbent and a newcomer vying for the seat.

Ashley Gilhousen won the election to Seat 5 in 2014 and 2018. She is a teacher in a neighboring county with a background in healthcare. Her competitor is Gerald Beasley, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran and locksmith with the district.

Now seeking a third term, Gilhousen said she sticks to something she ran on eight years ago: curriculum.

“We’re vetting materials we adopt and making sure we’re giving kids and teachers the opportunities to do the best they can,” Gilhousen said.

Gilhousen said fiscal responsibility and civility in the district are imperative while the growth continues. When students graduated, Gilhousen wanted virtuous and educated people ready to engage the community.

“The goal is to create good human beings, who are well rounded to participate in the community,” Gilhousen said.

Parents are the primary educators of their children, Gilhousen added. It's the district’s job to encourage and prepare the students from that foundation.

“I believe a parent should be an active participant in their child’s education,” she said. “There is no greater window than to step into (teaching). We don’t leave students where they are. We help them reach their highest potential.”

As for Beasley, he has been employed by the district for about a decade after an 18-year career in the Air Force. Beasley said every organization can use some improvement. Safety is one of Beasley’s key focuses.

“I want to make sure children can get the best education as possible while they come to a safe environment,” he said.

In terms of security, Beasley said he’s been to every campus with the district and is well familiar with what goes on.

“I want to make sure schools are maintained,” Beasley said. “We have a lot of exceptional teachers.”

Clay County has high rankings for education, test scores and school grades. Beasley said education unlocks so much later in life and is vital to both the students and the future of the area.

“Your education is your future,” Beasley said. “I don’t think you can have enough of it. The quality is the key.”

Candidate Charles Wigeri Van Edema withdrew from the race. A reserve deputy with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and a member of the guardian program, he said safety and strong finances were at the top of his list also, like Gilhousen and Beasley.

“To me, it’s more safety than anything,” Wigeri Van Edema said last month. “I’d like to highlight more communication between parents and the school board itself.”

The primary is on Aug. 23 and the general election is on Nov. 8.