The field of candidates for the Indian River County School Board got more crowded last week when incumbents Teri Barenborg and Jacqueline Rosario filed paperwork to run for reelection.

Barenborg, 65, is a longtime educator who represents District 4 in the southeastern corner of Indian River County.

A highly regarded member of the school board since 2018 who has served as both chair and vice-chair of the board multiple times, Barenborg taught at Dodgertown Elementary School and was an assistant principal at the school now called Indian River Academy. She was also a principal in the St. Lucie County School District and currently serves as legislative liaison for the Indian River County school board.

Her children, who are adults now, attended Indian River County public schools, and her grandchildren go to school in the district now.

“We want to maintain the upward spiral that we’ve got going,” she said, referring to dramatic improvement of public education here since Superintendent David Moore arrived in 2019, with the district and most schools awarded A grades by the state in 2025, even as Moore was selected as superintendent of the year in Florida.

“We’ve got a lot of changes on the horizon and keeping some stability on the board is a good idea with so much going on,” Barenborg said. “We want to make sure that public schools offer great options for students so that everyone has an opportunity to have a wonderful education.”

Changes underway in the district include expanding some schools into K-8 academies and repurposing other school campuses.

Barenborg said some parents were concerned about transportation issues as their children moved to new schools as part of the district revamp. In response, the district has created before- and after-school programs at the former Rosewood Magnet School campus and arranged for school bus transport where needed.

Another issue facing the school board is a state mandate that allows charter schools to demand classroom space in public schools without paying any of the costs for operation and maintenance.

“I am all for school choice,” Barenborg said. “But that’s just not fair. I’m working very hard at the state level to nudge that back in the direction where it started [when the unfunded mandate applied only to low-performing schools]. We don’t have low-performing schools in our district anymore."

As of Jan. 12, Barenborg did not have anyone running against her for the District 4 seat.

Rosario, 55, represents District 2, which includes the southern half of Sebastian south to the city of Vero Beach, along with the northern tip of the barrier island.

Rosario doesn’t have children or grandchildren in public schools, opting to homeschool her son, now 17. But now going into her eighth year on the board, she says being a homeschool parent does not disqualify her from being an effective school board member

Tom Lange, 43, a former Sebastian River High School teacher and rowing coach, is running against Rosario.

Lange, who has two children attending school in the district, taught English at Sebastian River High School from 2006 to 2018 – he also served as department head for several years – and was a district Career and Technical Education specialist from 2018 to 2023.

He’s also the director of rowing for Sebastian River Rowing, which he founded in 2006 and which has since become a powerhouse in the sport, winning 24 Scholastic State Championships according to its website.

“I want to make sure our kids – not just mine, but all the kids who go to our public schools – are in good hands,” Lange said. “I’ve seen and learned a lot during my years in the classroom and as a department head, and it’s time for me to try to help lead the district in the right direction.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to continue the successes we’ve achieved in our district,” he added. “I think, with my experience, I can make a positive contribution that has an impact on all kids.

“The kids are what matter most.”

The primary election that will decide the District 2 race unless another candidate files is Aug. 18.