“The pizza always delivers.”
This year, the name on the order reads “SCPS school board.”
Students may know 2025 graduate Antonio Pizza for his numerous campaigns for student government, for his leadership roles in Young Republicans, Italian Club and Chess Club or just as a former classmate, but he now intends to expand his political career beyond the school halls, announcing his candidacy for the District 1 school board seat. The election will take place Aug. 18, separate from elections for federal offices.
The idea for Pizza to run first came about when one of his friends, a current senior in high school, complained to him about the quality of education public school students were receiving.
“I’ve always thought about running for positions just because I care about the community, and I’ve seen how the community has been [run],” Pizza said. “And I always thought, instead of me complaining about how other people are running it, why not do it myself? I see the issues, [and] I’ve lived through the issues. Why not fix the issues now myself instead of relying on other people to do it?”
Pizza, 19, attends UCF, where he majors in political science. He believes that the recency of his experiences as a student in high school will lend him a unique perspective compared to older candidates.
Many students are excited to see one of their peers running for political office so soon after graduation.
“[Pizza] and I definitely agree on a lot of things, and I think he would definitely benefit the school board if he sticks to his values,” Young Republicans president Christopher Estock said. “And him being a very former student, [having] just coming out of high school is a good thing to have when … you have a look at what is going on currently in the school system.”
Pizza hopes to prioritize high-quality education over graduation rates. He has concerns about the frequency of students switching to online classes or cheating in order to pass, and the resulting loss of teachers when fewer are needed to teach in-person classes.
“Our graduation rate is in the high 90s, but it’s being inflated by all of these students [who cheat or take online classes],” Pizza said. “It is so hard for a student to fail classes, because even if you’re failing a class right now, you could drop that class and enroll into a [Florida Virtual School] class…You don’t have a teacher looking over your shoulder to make sure you’re not cheating. So it’s important that we have the students in the school learning in front of a real teacher.”
Other areas of his platform include recovery from COVID-era learning (socializing students and reducing the need for online systems), school security and enforcement of the phone policy.
The District 1 seat is currently held by Kristine Kraus, who has not yet confirmed her intention to run for reelection. As of now, Pizza is listed as the only candidate for District 1; however, applicants have until June to complete the application process.
Prospective candidates must set up an appointment at the Seminole County voting office, file the proper documentation and then either secure 3,000 signatures or pay a fine of $2,000 in order to appear on the ballot. Pizza has begun the process of collecting signatures by canvassing doors and attending community events, and next looks to put together a team to assist him in managing finances and campaigning.
Pizza’s run for school board is indicative of a larger trend of younger citizens running for office. In 2022, Maxwell Frost was elected as the first Gen Z Congress member at the age of 25, and Diezel Depew was elected mayor of Edgewater at 19.
“I think I [would] bring a new perspective on the school board,” Pizza said. “Yes, I am young. But I also have on-the-ground experience with the schools. I’m not some person who has never attended the schools and hears about the issues from the outside. I’m someone who has lived through the issues.”
Students can contact Pizza at [email protected].
