Priorities
Three commitments. Real issues. Clear positions.
Grounded in sixteen years inside Clay County’s public schools and the issues actually in front of the board right now, not the ones that play well online.
The three R’s
Elect Rathjen for proven leadership.
Results for Students
Every Clay County kid should leave high school with financial education and options: a college path, a career path, a skill, or a credential. That means defending career and trades programs, dual enrollment, paid internships, early literacy, and the buses that actually get kids to the classroom in the first place.
Respect for Educators & Parents
Teachers are the engine of our schools, and parents are partners, not adversaries. That means a teacher-pay structure that doesn’t leave one-in-three of our educators behind, and a district that returns parents’ phone calls instead of dodging them.
Responsible Leadership
A transparent budget. Decisions made with discipline, not drama. With a ~$20 million shortfall on the table and the Financial Renaissance plan underway, this seat needs a board member who reads the agenda, can engage (not micromanage), asks the hard questions, and keeps the focus on the classroom.
Where Michael stands
On the issues actually in front of the board.
- Teacher pay. The November 2025 impasse vote left roughly 1,200 Clay County teachers, about 45% of the workforce, without a raise. That isn’t fiscal discipline; it’s a stewardship failure. Pay parity with our neighbors in Saint Johns and Duval has to be the floor, not the ceiling.
- The $20M shortfall. Closing the gap honestly means line-by-line transparency on where Family Empowerment Scholarship payouts are pulling FEFP dollars out of our classrooms, what enrollment changes are costing us, and which administrative line items should go before any classroom resource does. Every voucher dollar that leaves the district should be reported publicly.
- Buses and the 2-mile walk zone. About 1,200 Clay kids were reclassified as walkers on day one of the 2025-26 school year. SR-21, SR-100, US-17, and CR-220 are not safe walking routes for a seven-year-old. Reliable transportation is part of educational access, full stop.
- Spending discipline before new revenue. Before this board asks taxpayers for school-zone speed cameras or a one-mill renewal, it needs to finish the obvious work: the 241-vehicle “white fleet” report, leaner administrative overhead, and a public, audited accounting of every dollar.
- A focused, prepared board. The dais is for the budget, the curriculum, and the operations of a $500M+ school district, not for distractions, side controversies, or theatrics. Michael will show up to every meeting prepared, on the record, and on the work.
- School Board voice who understands that both relationships and results matter. Clay County deserves a board member at the table who shows up at the Fair, the FFA banquet, community functions, business partner events, and school functions, not just at election time.
Why vote Rathjen
Your vote shows that you C.A.R.E.
- C, Confirm we should work collaboratively to ensure all students have access to potentially life-changing opportunities, from early literacy intervention to financial education to experiential learning through paid internships.
- A, Affirm our need for responsible leadership and transparency.
- R, Recognize the need to uplift and respect our educators and parents.
- E, Ensure we maintain the high integrity of our A-Rated school district.