Valencia College offers to return Glen Gilzean’s controversial $2.1 million scholarship

Orange County Supervisor of Election's Office

Valencia College is offering to return $2.1 million to Orange County after Mayor Jerry Demings threatened a possible lawsuit in the latest twist in the Election Supervisor Glen Gilzean’s spending drama.

“Our hope is that the students at Evans and Jones High Schools, which have among the lowest college-going rates in Orange County, benefit from the scholarships contemplated by the Orange County Promise of the Future Scholarship Fund,” Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske said in a statement sent after 6 p.m. Friday. “Although it would be disappointing if students do not have access to these scholarships, if Orange County asks for the return of the funds, Valencia will return the $2.1 million contribution.”

Gilzean promised scholarships to seniors at two Orlando high schools, charter and private students in specific ZIP codes, to attend Valencia College, once recognized as the country’s best community college, and Orange Technical College.

Gilzean also gave $1.9 million to CareerSource Central Florida to cover the job training costs for the temp workers who helped Gilzean’s office during election season.

CareerSource did not respond to questions after hours Friday about whether the center is also willing to return the money to the county government.

Demings’ office, which was closed Friday evening, did not immediately provide a comment on Valencia’s announcement.

Demings said he was considering a potential lawsuit this week after saying Gilzean inappropriately spent the $4 million from the Elections Supervisor’s budget surplus instead of returning the money to the county government.

In recent years, the county Elections Supervisor returned $1.3 million to $2.8 million annually in surpluses to the Orange County government. Under Gilzean, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the office only returned about $690,000 in the 2024 fiscal year. Demings said he was blindsided by the scholarship and career center spending.

Gilzean argued that he is thinking outside the box to fix problems and that, as an independent constitutional officer, he has the power to decide how to spend the money.

Demings argued that Gilzean could have spent the money to prevent the long lines during the General Election.

Plinske thanked Gilzean for his efforts to help students.

In the late Friday statement, Plinske also said, “Valencia College is grateful for the generous support of our many community partners. We appreciate the forward-thinking of the Orange County Supervisor of Elections, who expressed a goal to increase voter registration and college-going rates in underserved communities through the establishment of the Orange County Promise of the Future Scholarship Fund.”