Ron DeSantis Appoints Karen Rose to Sarasota County School Board Following Voter Removal Months Earlier

In a surprising move, Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Karen Rose back to the School Board just months after voters removed her from office.

On Friday, the Governor announced Rose’s appointment to a seat recently vacated by Tim Enos, who returned to his previous role as the school district’s police chief.

According to the Governor’s office, “Rose is a former Sarasota County School Board Member. Active in her community, she currently serves as a member of the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota District Board of Trustees and previously served as a member of the Florida Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.”

Rose holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Youngstown State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of South Florida.

Having previously served as a principal and school district-level administrator, Rose won a School Board seat in 2020, garnering support from local Republicans in a nonpartisan race against Democrat-backed opponent David Graham. Notably, she previously challenged then-School Board member Shirley Brown, a former Democratic state Representative, but was unsuccessful.

However, in the recent elections, Rose lost her bid for re-election. Voters chose Liz Barker, a Democrat-backed candidate, marking a rejection of the conservative majority. Rose was among candidates endorsed by DeSantis who faced defeat across the state.

During the early years of her tenure, Rose was part of a political minority with Bridget Ziegler, known for advocating conservative education policies. In 2022, a conservative majority was elected to the School Board, all of whom had the backing of DeSantis. Rose controversially led the push to remove School Superintendent Brennan Asplen, shortly after the new board took office.

In 2023, Ziegler became embroiled in a sex scandal alongside her husband Christian Ziegler. During this tumultuous time, Rose, who served as School Board Chair, called for Ziegler’s resignation, which Ziegler refused to tender. As such, Ziegler remains on the board.

With Enos’s recent announcement of his resignation, a move criticized by School Board member Tom Edwards, Rose’s return to the board will not alter its conservative majority, which remains at 3-2. She will complete Enos’s term, set to end next year, once again sharing the dais with Edwards and Barker, her previous political rival.

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Key Information:

• Appointment Date: Recently announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
• Replaced: Karen Rose replaces Tim Enos, who resigned from the School Board.
• Education: Bachelor’s in Psychology (Youngstown State University), Master’s in Education (University of South Florida).
• Previous Roles: Former principal and School Board member; currently on State College of Florida Board of Trustees.
• Recent Election Outcome: Lost re-election in November 2022; Liz Barker elected in her place.
• Political Context: Appointment maintains a 3-2 conservative majority on the board.