Gino Collura is running for the Pasco County School Board seat representing Wesley Chapel in the Nov. 3 general election. The nonpartisan District 1 race pits Collura against Kimberly D. Coward after both advanced from a four-candidate primary on Aug. 18.

Collura finished second in the primary with approximately 31% of the vote, or 24,046 votes, according to the Hernando Sun.

He describes himself as a local businessman and school safety expert, according to his campaign website.

Candidate information

  • Residence: San Antonio, Florida
  • Hometown: Born and raised in Pasco County
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in applied anthropology (neuroanthropology), master's degree in applied anthropology (neuroanthropology) and doctor of philosophy in applied anthropology/neuroanthropology, all from the University of South Florida
  • Family: Father; son of a former public-school teacher

Experience and public service

Collura is a business consultant and University of South Florida-educated behavioral scientist, according to WUSF. He serves as a member of the district board of trustees at Pasco-Hernando State College, an appointment made by Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to WUSF.

He taught at Pasco Middle School in Dade City in 2008 and taught 10th and 11th grade English and reading at Sunlake High School in Land O'Lakes in 2009, according to Neighborhood News. He also serves on advisory and community boards at Saint Leo University and the University of South Florida, according to Neighborhood News.

Collura says he has worked for more than 15 years with law enforcement, military special operations personnel and first responders studying human behavior, threat assessment and violence prevention, according to the Hernando Sun. He says he has worked as a high-stakes security specialist conducting threat assessments in Latin America, according to Neighborhood News.

On the issues

School safety: Collura says he wants to focus on proactive security measures rather than reactive ones, including conducting behavioral threat assessments and open-source intelligence gathering. He says he intends to use threat management technologies to improve school safety, according to Neighborhood News.

Teacher retention and pay: Collura says retaining great teachers requires more than pay. He says he supports reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, strengthening mentorship for new teachers, increasing classroom autonomy and expanding professional development, according to the Hernando Sun. He also says he intends to prioritize competitive teacher pay packages, according to WUSF.

Academic achievement: Collura says his priorities include improving literacy and math proficiency, expanding career and technical education, strengthening school safety and using data to identify struggling students early, according to the Hernando Sun.

Budget: Collura says if reductions become necessary, he would first examine operational inefficiencies, duplicative programs and non-instructional spending before impacting classrooms. He says he would protect teacher positions, safety, instructional resources and exceptional student education, according to the Hernando Sun.

Parental rights and school choice: Collura says he is an advocate for parental rights and school choice. He says parents reserve the right to choose and he supports home schooling and charter school options as long as all students get the same opportunities, according to Neighborhood News.

Endorsements

Collura has received endorsements from Pasco County School District Superintendent John Legg and outgoing Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, according to WUSF, and from Wilton Simpson, Florida commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, according to Neighborhood News.