As Sarasota County prepares for its next School Board election, candidate Heidi Brandt is entering the race with a perspective shaped by education, family tradition, and firsthand experience inside local public schools.

 

Raised in Minnesota, Brandt grew up in a household where education was more than a profession,  it was a calling. Coming from a multi-generational family of educators, she was surrounded early by conversations about classrooms, student success, and the critical role teachers play in shaping communities. Her father worked as a high school biology teacher, later serving as a high school principal, and her mother worked as a mathematics teacher. It is this foundation that would ultimately influence Brandt’s own path toward educational advocacy.

 

After completing her education in Minnesota, Hedi moved to NYC, where she met her husband Jerry, and they eventually made Sarasota their permanent home more than a decade ago.  Heidi and Jerry live on Lido Key, where they are raising their 9-year old daughter Mia, who is a 3rd grader at Southside Elementary School.  Like many parents, her involvement began locally -volunteering, supporting teachers, and engaging directly with school leadership.  As a new Kindergarten parent she jumped right into a leadership role in her daughter's classroom as a co-room parent, garden parent and volunteering anywhere she could on the PTO.  

 

Her commitment grew into formal leadership when she became a PTO board member, and now the current Southside Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization, one of Sarasota County’s consistently top-performing public schools.  

 

Through her PTO leadership, Brandt works closely with administrators, educators, and families, gaining practical insight into the challenges facing public education today.

 

 

Brandt is running for the Sarasota County School Board District 1 seat with what she describes as a parent-centered approach to decision-making. Her campaign priorities focus on:

    •    Supporting parents, encouraging engagement in their students academics

    •    Strengthening school safety measures

    •    Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers

    •    Expanding workforce and career training opportunities for students 

 

Heidi believes it is vital to the health and future of our public schools that we attract and retain students. Strong public schools depend on strong enrollment, and that means creating an environment where families choose to stay. She is committed to making our schools places where students feel safe, supported, and inspired to succeed. 

 

 

School Board races in Sarasota County have increasingly drawn public attention as education policy discussions expand beyond academics to include safety, workforce readiness, and parental involvement.

For Heidi, the campaign represents a continuation of the values she learned growing up in a family of educators — that strong schools are built through collaboration between teachers, families, and the broader community, In Sarasota County, the Primary Election will be held on August 18, 2026, with early voting available from Sunday, August 8 through Sunday, August 16. These early voting opportunities ensure that every eligible voter has ample time to make their voice heard and help determine which leadership will guide our schools and community.