Key Largo Grandmother, Teacher Challenges Incumbent for School Board Seat

Chelyn Shaw, a Key Largo resident who spent 30 years teaching in Monroe County schools and is now a grandmother of seven, filed Thursday to challenge incumbent Dr. Sue Woltanski for the District 5 seat on the Monroe County School Board, setting up an August 18 race that will test whether deep local roots can unseat an established board member.

Shaw (pronounced "Shell-een") is a mother of three whose campaign centers on what her materials describe as "Conservative Christian Values" and family-centered education priorities. Her candidacy draws on her decades in Monroe County classrooms, framing her credentials as both a former teacher and a grandparent with a personal stake in how the district serves its students.

District 5 covers much of the Upper Keys, with school communities that feed into Coral Shores High School and other district programs. The seat is nonpartisan but carries real weight: board members shape budgeting for school operations, safety protocols, curriculum decisions and oversight of programs such as Ocean Guardian and career-technical education. Across an archipelago school district, those decisions extend to practical realities like transportation scheduling, hurricane preparedness and facilities maintenance.

Shaw's campaign website encourages supporters to volunteer and donate, listing community engagement alongside her three decades of teaching as her central qualifications. The Monroe County Supervisor of Elections maintains official candidacy filings and contribution records for voters tracking the race.

With candidate-petition deadlines approaching and the August 18 primary four months out, Shaw's filing is likely to draw attention from local teacher groups, parent organizations and civic leaders watching how the campaign shapes debate around curriculum and district spending in the Upper Keys. Dr. Woltanski now has a named challenger, and the race is on.