Polk County, Florida

Polk County School Board District 6

What this office does

School board member. The school board is the governing body of a public school district. It hires and evaluates the superintendent, adopts the district budget, sets policies on curriculum, discipline, attendance boundaries and facilities, and approves contracts and collective bargaining agreements. Day-to-day operations belong to the superintendent; the board sets direction and holds the administration accountable.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. The sitting officeholder, Justin Sharpless, is on the ballot.

Florida › Polk County › Polk County School Board District 6

Decided at the 2026 primary: Justin Sharpless won the seat

DECIDED August 18: Justin Sharpless won outright with 67.4 percent (57,754 votes) over Kasen Hampton, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.

Winner

Justin Sharpless

Nonpartisan Incumbent

Top priorities

Moving the district's grade from B toward A
Teacher raises and recruitment
Maintaining safe schools

Per LkldNow and The Citrus Tea.

Biography

Sharpless is a Polk County native and career educator with a background in agricultural industry advocacy, per the campaign site. He is an alumnus of Polk County Public Schools running for a seat on the school board, per the campaign site.

Campaign finance

$20,825 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Also ran in the primary

Kasen Hampton

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Teacher compensation and literacy program funding
Student safety and mental health
Youth representation in board leadership

Per The Ledger's race coverage.

Biography

Kasen Hampton is a 19-year-old Polk State College student from Lake Wales majoring in public administration, per The Ledger's race coverage.

Campaign finance

$14 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Polk County School Board District 6 in 2026?

The Polk County School Board District 6 race was decided at the 2026 primary - Justin Sharpless won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Kasen Hampton and Justin Sharpless. Candidate information follows official Polk County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Polk County School Board District 6 election in Florida?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Florida are on the Florida election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Polk County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Polk County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified September 25, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Florida election office, or see the full Polk County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Polk County ballot

7 tracked races in Polk County, Florida. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot

Florida House District 48 Florida House District 49 Florida House District 50 See all 7 Polk County races

Candidate profiles

Justin Sharpless, full profile Kasen Hampton, full profile Official Florida election office