Christia Li Roberts won reelection to the Martin County School Board’s District 1 seat with 60.14% of the vote, defeating Cherie White, who received 39.86%. The nonpartisan contest returned the 12-year incumbent to the board. District 1 includes Hutchinson Island, Jensen Beach, North River Shores, Ocean Breeze Park, Rio and Sewall’s Point.
Its schools and facilities include Jensen Beach High, Jensen Beach Elementary, Felix A. Williams Elementary, Stuart Middle and the Environmental Studies Center.
Roberts’ priorities include preparing to reauthorize the district’s operating referendum in 2028. She says the referendum revenue supports teacher recruitment and retention, school safety, mental-health services and academic initiatives. Her campaign emphasized academic performance, safety, facilities and fiscal management.
Roberts pointed to the district’s A rating, campus improvements, capital planning and referendum work that she says has generated additional operating revenue for schools. She also wants to improve student achievement through early intervention and personalized instruction. Her goals include expanding STEM, career and technical education, arts and enrichment programs.
A Stuart resident, Roberts has served on the School Board since 2014. She is a registered investment adviser and financial consultant with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Loyola University in Baltimore. In June, she was named chair of the Florida School Labor Relations Service, a statewide organization supporting school districts in labor relations and collective bargaining.
Roberts finished first in the August primary with 49.69%, just short of the majority needed to win outright. White received 26.98%, and Charles Winn received 23.33%.
White, a Jensen Beach resident, campaigned on academic achievement, character development and stronger relationships among students, parents and teachers. She previously served as city clerk in Stuart, the first village clerk in Indiantown and town clerk in Sewall’s Point. She works for Martin County government and as a substitute teacher in Martin County schools.
White identified employee retention as an early priority, calling for fair pay, supportive work environments and stronger recruitment. She also proposed more campus-level decision-making, additional support for disadvantaged students and a plain-language budget with charts and visual data to help residents understand district spending.