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Kristine Kraus
Kristine Kraus is a member of the Seminole County Public Schools school board in Florida, representing District 1. She assumed office in 2018. Her current term ends on November 17, 2026.
Kraus won re-election to the Seminole County Public Schools school board to represent District 1 in Florida outright in the primary on August 23, 2022, after the general election was canceled.
Elections
2022
See also: Seminole County Public Schools, Florida, elections (2022)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 1
Incumbent Kristine Kraus won election outright against Deborah Bauer in the primary for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 1 on August 23, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kristine Kraus (Nonpartisan) | 54.6 | 43,487 |
 | Deborah Bauer (Nonpartisan)  | 45.4 | 36,101 | |
| Total votes: 79,588 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 1
Kristine Kraus defeated Alan Youngblood in the general election for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 1 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristine Kraus (Nonpartisan) | 55.1 | 91,830 |
| Alan Youngblood (Nonpartisan) | 44.9 | 74,910 | ||
| Total votes: 166,740 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 1
Alan Youngblood and Kristine Kraus defeated Cade Resnick and Fanny Benites in the primary for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 1 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Alan Youngblood (Nonpartisan) | 33.7 | 24,386 | |
| ✔ | | Kristine Kraus (Nonpartisan) | 33.3 | 24,047 |
| Cade Resnick (Nonpartisan) | 25.0 | 18,075 | ||
| Fanny Benites (Nonpartisan) | 8.0 | 5,785 | ||
| Total votes: 72,293 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kristine Kraus did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kristine Kraus completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kraus' responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Comprehensive school safety: As a mom and a survivor of a school shooting, I understand the fears parents and students have about school safety. We need a comprehensive approach to safety, including bullying prevention. This includes improving school security and preparedness, making buildings safer, providing access to mental health care, and working with parents and families. 2. Ending the constant testing: Teachers need more time to teach. High-stakes testing is overwhelming our students and stressing our teachers. I believe in accountability and straightforward teacher assessments. I advocate for more authentic teacher assessments for our younger grades, and using a nationally-recognized standardized test (like the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the SAT, the ACT) for older grades. These are meaningful and show subject understanding and mastery at a national level. 3. Educating every student, including technical and vocational education. We must provide additional emphasis and options for students on a technical or vocational path. The workforce is eager for these students, and a four-year university is not the only path for our students. I also believe we need to implement a life skills class, that prepares our students for the real world. These classes would include job application process, balancing a bank account, registering to vote, taxes, as well as other "adult skills."
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
As a mom of four who has been volunteering in Seminole County schools for 20 years, I have always been passionate about creating the best environment possible for students and teachers. My own four kids all attended and graduated from Seminole County Public Schools. My parents taught me to serve others. My professional role the past 18 years has been at the YMCA as a preschool programs teacher. I attend School Board meetings and involve other parents in decisions being made. I know that hard work can make positive changes, and I am eager to work as a full-time advocate for students, families and teachers. It is time for someone who is committed to working full-time for our kids.
What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?
The primary job of a School Board member is accountability for our schools, for the quality of the education we provide, creating the safest environment for students and teachers and managing funds to meet those needs. School board members must ensure every Seminole County student has access to a quality education. I believe we need leadership in addressing all stakeholders and will work full time to bring that leadership to SCPS.
How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?
We need to improve pathways for all students to succeed. Many students find great success through college, and that should be promoted and enabled through dual enrollment, AP, and advanced classes, but we also need to offer more vocational, technical, and entrepreneurial options for students. As our workforce ages, skilled and technical positions are in demand. I will work to develop community partnerships like the one between the Sanford Airport and the Seminole High School Aeronautical program.
What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?
It begins with our own budget, taking responsibility for how we use the resources we have. The current level of funding for our public schools does not meet the needs of all our students. As a committed, full-time School Board member, I will bring parent's concerns to every elected official who can make a difference in funding Seminole Public Schools. I will be an advocate at every level of government to provide what we need for safer schools, living wages to retain the best teachers in Florida, and educational materials and technology for our kids.
What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?
When I was a middle school student, a classmate entered our room with a shotgun. He started firing at the teacher and then at the class. It still amazes me that no one was killed that day. My own chair received two bullet holes. Back then, this was incredibly rare. The reality is today, violence and bullying is more common in schools. As a mom of four kids who graduated Seminole County Schools, I take this responsibility personally. I will work every day to prevent bullying and violence in schools, and to ensure our parents and kids feel safe when they are in school.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
