Jacob Ogles
Sarasota County School Board Chair Tim Enos is resigning from the Board to return to his old job.
The District announced that the retired police officer will take the job of Police Chief for the Sarasota County Schools Police Department, a position he held from November 2018 to January 2022. His last day on the Board will be Aug. 24.
“While it has been an honor to serve as a School Board member and Board Chair, my deepest passion has always been ensuring the safety of our students and staff,” Enos said in a statement. “This new role allows me to focus all my efforts on strengthening school safety and continuing the work I have dedicated much of my career to.”
He also previously served as Executive Director of the Florida Association of School Resource Officers and testified to the Legislature on school safety after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting in 2018.
Enos retired from his District Police Chief job before successfully winning a seat on the School Board, where he was elected as part of the conservative “ZEM” ticket, endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis during an election cycle where the Governor’s backing proved effective through most of the state in securing School Board seats.
Now, it appears DeSantis will get to appoint Enos’ successor in his District 5 seat. Whomever the Governor selects for the role will serve out the rest of Enos’ term, which ends in 2026.
The ZEM ticket included sitting School Board member Bridget Ziegler and former teacher Robyn Marinelli, all Republican Party of Sarasota-backed candidates who won four-year terms in August 2022 over Democrat-backed opponents.
Immediately after taking office, the conservative majority, which included then-School Board member Karen Rose, made waves with the ouster of Superintendent Brennan Asplen. The board later hired School Superintendent Terry Connor, who is hiring Enos into the police chief role again.
“I can think of no better person to lead the Sarasota County Schools Police Department,” Connor said. “Mr. Enos’ unmatched expertise in school safety, his deep knowledge of this department, and his commitment to protecting our students and staff make him the ideal choice for this critical position.”
Two years later, backlash — driven in part by a sex scandal involving Ziegler — saw Democrats win the two Board elections in 2024 even as Republicans performed well statewide. School Board member Tom Edwards, who has been criticized regularly by local Republicans, won a second term. Liz Barker, a Democrat-backed challenger, unseated Rose.
But conservatives still held the majority thanks to the ZEM ticket. The Board, however, may be in a 2-2 lock for a period until DeSantis names a replacement for Enos.
Enos’ departure also means that the majority will not all stand for re-election, if any do.
There is wide speculation that Ziegler will not run for a fourth term on the School Board, whether she retires from the post or seeks a House seat.
Heidi Brandt, Vice President of the Republican Women’s Club of Sarasota, is running for Ziegler’s District 1 seat. She is the only candidate to file for School Board in any of the seats up in 2026.
