ALEN BLANCO HERNANDEZ 2035
2026 ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE
ANNE PURCELL
Meet Anne
Orange County is home for me and many generations of my family. I was introduced to the critical importance of public education early in life and have maintained my commitment ever since. My grandmother taught at West Hillsborough School for over twenty years. My mother taught Orange County students for thirty-four years at Murphy School, Cameron Park, and Central Elementary. Public education hasn’t just been my career; it’s been a life-long calling to serve the community that I love.
Teacher and Administrator Support
Our teachers and administrators are our most valuable assets, and their expertise and leadership are crucial for the success of our students. I believe that we must show our strong support by continuing to advocate for salaries that actually reflect the importance of their work and by providing relevant professional development, timely access to instructional data, and adequate classroom resources.
Academic Achievement
One of my top priorities has always been, and will always be, academic preparation for every student. Students must graduate from high school prepared to achieve their future goals, regardless of whether those goals involve careers, college, or other pursuits.
For the first time all 13 schools in our district met or exceeded growth for the 2024~2025 school year. I am committed to continuing support for the work and resources that made this success possible and to ensuring that every student receives a quality education and preparation for success.
School Safety
Providing safe and secure schools and classrooms is non-negotiable for me. Teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn when they do not feel physically and/or emotionally safe. In Orange County, we have taken a multi-pronged approach to ensuring that our buildings are as safe as we can possibly make them. This means, among other initiatives, providing the resources to establish and maintain secure facilities, training staff in building supervision and response, providing funding for mental health support in our schools, and partnering with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the trained School Resource Officers that are present in each of our schools. School safety is a constant focus for school administrators, faculty, staff and School Resource Officers as plans and needs are reviewed and updated as necessary. I will continue to strongly support these efforts to ensure that our schools provide safe environments for our students and staff.