Richard "Rick" Saltrick challenged Ann Murray for the District 1 seat on the Broward School but couldn't muster the votes to win.
Murray, 65, easily won the election, beating Saltrick with 58 percent of the vote, winning 35,649 to 27,207. Murray will fill the last two years of Eleanor Sobel's four-year term. Sobel won election to the state Senate Tuesday.
Saltrick, 41, grew up and currently resides in Hollywood. He attended South Broward High School and Orange Brook Elementary School, and holds a masters degree in Public Policy and Urban Planning from Harvard University. Saltrick, is currently employed by the city of Miami Beach as a civil engineer.
Saltrick, a City of Miami Beach engineer has not worked in the school system, but believed his experience in public policy and construction policies give him the experience needed for the job. Both of his parents worked for Broward County public schools, so education was always a topic at the dinner table.
Saltrick, says that his engineering background gives him the expertise to oversee construction spending. Some of his plans were to reduce schools dependency on the FCAT, increase teachers' salaries, and to reduce the amount of money spent on school construction.
Ann Murray, 65, Saltrick's opponent has an associate's degree from Broward Community College. She is a veteran school district transportation supervisor and community activist for the city of Hollywood. She began her career as a school bus driver in 1971. Some of her priorities are to prevent dropout rates from high school students, and reduce teacher transfers.
Both candidates want to improve the appearance of schools in east Broward County. Schools in west Broward are newer and are kept in better shape. They also plan to improve technology in all of Broward's schools.
The Broward County Public Schools is the sixth largest district in the nation. District 1 covers southern Broward County. The majority of the centers are elementary schools with a multiethnic-multicultural population.
Saltrick raised significantly more money than Murray, according to the county Supervisor of Elections records, about $95,000 compared to Murray's $35,000.
Murray ran her campaign by knocking on doors, hosting breakfasts, and church forums. Meanwhile, Saltrick set up a website for his campaign, sent out literature, and had the support of The Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel.
Saltrick's elaborate website lists his resume, qualifications, and priorities. "Vote for Rick Saltrick," signs surround the front yards of houses in Hollywood, where some residents called the neighborhood Ricksaltrickville.
Nelsi Maldonado
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