Sarasota County School Board District 4: Frank Dicicco

Age: 62

Occupation: Licensed insurance agent/broker specializing in medicare, life insurance, and annuities. 

Sarasota County residency: 30 years

Describe, specifically, what you see as the primary role and functions of the school board?

The school board's primary functions are to create and adopt the budget, ensure the taxpayer's money is being spent wisely, set policies that govern the students and teachers, hire and manage the superintendent, oversee district capital projects, review and enforce school safety standards, and establish a decorum for students, teachers, and parents to be able to be heard at board meetings. 

Why are you running for office?

I have two boys who attended Suncoast Polytech high school, (my one son just graduated in May, and my other son is going to be a senior this year). I would like to see the political agendas removed from the school board meetings and for them to be run with more decorum and respect for all. I was unhappy when they moved the meetings for two Tuesdays per month at  6 p.m. to oneTuesday per month at 10 a.m. I believe that students, teachers, and parents should be able to attend board meetings. I also would like to see a much more transparent budget with actual line items for all expenses. I feel I bring some unique attributes to the school boards. One being that I was a volunteer certified court mediator for Sarasota and Manatee counties and have extensive experience in conflict resolution. Graduating Eckerd College as an adult in 2014, gives me the unique experience of being in academia as a student recently - as opposed to when I originally went to college back in the 1980s. Being in business my entire life, I bring out-of-the box thinking and experience that can be used to contribute to better decisions for school projects. 

Have you ever run for public office before? If so, for what office?

Yes, in 2016 I ran against Mike Moran for Sarasota County Commissioner District 1. 

Why are you the best candidate? 

In addition to the answers I provided for question #5, I will stand up for students, teachers, and parents so that they know I have their backs.I am a very hard worker and treat this position like a second full-time career. With my experience in conflict resolution and graduating from Eckerd College as an adult in 2014, I have very different attributes that I bring to the school board. Those attributes will help create a respectful decorum in the school board meetings between how the board members are with each other, and how the students, parents, and teachers who come to speak at the meetings. I also believe that my initiative to remove the high cost of school supplies away from the parents and back to the school is a very good way to help families immediately begin saving some money. 

Do you have (or have you ever) had any children in any public or private elementary, middle, or high school? If so, what school(s)? 

Yes, I had a foster daughter and a stepdaughter who lived with us and graduated Sarasota Military Academy in 2018. I have a son who just graduated from Suncoast Polytech in May-2026, and I have another son who will be a senior at Suncoast Polytech this upcoming school year. 

What are the top three issues facing Sarasota's public schools, and how should they be addressed? 

The first main issue is the school board meetings need to be moved back to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and be held for two nights and not just once per month. Moving the meetings to once a month at 10 a.m. was not a good idea as it prevented students, teachers and parents from attending. Next we have to remove the political agendas from the school board meetings and get the meetings under control. Third, the budget needs to be looked at much more thoroughly, and it should be presented with line items so can all see exactly where the money is coming from, and where it is going. That way, we can see if there’s any other areas of waste we can cut rather than educators.

What grade would you give Superintendent Terry Connor — A to F ... and why? 

I would give him an A for his quick response to prevent the Florida for-profit “Schools of Hope” charter schools from being able to use our low student headcount schools without having to pay rent, overhead expenses, food service, and transportation. 

What grade would you give the school board for managing the district's tax dollars — A to F ... Why?

Grade C. I am not happy with a $45 million shortfall in our budget and having to lay off teachers. I feel that too many long-term expenses were committed with COVID relief dollars that should not have been approved. 

What would you change to improve the district's fiscal management?

I think we need to have the Board Members, Superintendent Connor, and the finance committee review the existing budget in much more detail. Expenses should be more line-itemed, and more detailed so that everybody understands where the money is going and where it is coming from. Having reviewed the budget myself, I feel there are areas that are bloated and need to be reviewed, department by department, to better understand why we have certain expenses. I also believe we need to revisit the concept of leasing hardware and software for 3-year terms, as opposed to making capital purchases that would be based on five year terms since hardware and software technology is improving and changing so rapidly - anything bought in 2026 could be outdated in a matter of a year or two. Not only will that strategy save the school district from having to make major capital purchases, it will allow the district to implement better solutions across more schools immediately, as opposed to having to stagger implementation over time. I believe that a more detailed approach to reviewing where the money is being spent across the school district would better help us protect our educational staff and prevent the need to lay off teachers, mental health specialists, and guidance counselors.

What would be your priorities if elected?

My priorities are as I’ve said throughout most of this questionnaire. First school board meetings need to move back to 6 p.m. on two Tuesdays per month. Secondly we need to make sure that the code of conduct, dress code policy, and attendance policies are being evenly enforced amongst all the schools in the Sarasota County School District. I would like to do everything possible to remove politics from the school board meeting and bring decorum into place so that we can work together and actually accomplish the goals that are the best for the students and teachers. Lastly, while not one of the biggest priorities people speak about, I believe very heavily in my initiative of having the school board buy the basic school supplies for pennies on the dollar as opposed to parents having to buy them full retail. 

What is you position on the state's school choice laws? 

I believe in school choice. School choice is how my stepdaughter and foster daughter were able to go to Sarasota Military Academy, and my two sons are able to go to Suncoast Polytech.

How should the board's 'public to be heard' part of the school board meetings be changed — or not be changed at all? Why? 

I fully believe in the First Amendment Right of Free Speech, so I agree that members of Sarasota County should be able to address the School Board. I agree with the current “Key Rules and Guidelines” listed below, but I want a respectful decorum in place to keep the meetings civil and productive.   

Key Rules and Guidelines:

• Time Limits: Speakers are generally limited to 2 minutes per person for general comments. A timer will turn red when there are 30 seconds left.
• Registration: Community members can offer comments either in person or by emailing their comments before the meeting.
• Conduct: The audience must listen politely. To ensure a productive and orderly process, clapping, cheering, or making sounds of approval or disapproval are prohibited.
• Restrictions: Speakers cannot yield their time to others, and outside CDs, DVDs, or electronic audio/video recordings are not allowed.
• Required by Law: By state law, the board must provide time for public comment on propositions before taking formal action.