India Palencia

09/15/2026

09/11/2026

During my campaign, I learned something I wish I had taken more seriously: misinformation doesn’t have to be intelligent to be dangerous.

People associated with my opponent’s campaign pushed some truly bizarre claims about me online. At the time, I mostly laughed. I assumed reasonable people would recognize nonsense when they saw it. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m most unserious about that nonsense.

That was my mistake.

Because when you repeat inflammatory language often enough, there are people who believe it.

In my case, it contributed to actual threats against me and concerns for my family’s safety serious enough that I reported them to FMPD, where the matter is currently being investigated.

And now, I’m watching the same, tired political playbook show up again around Tony Beougher for Lee County School Board’s campaign.

The formula is so predictable it practically comes laminated:
1. Pick scary buzzwords.
2. Include zero context.
3. Repeat it loudly aka spend some money
4. Expect that nobody bothers to check whether it’s true.

It’s political Mad Libs masquerading as leadership.

What bothers me most is what this strategy assumes about the public: that people won’t ask questions, won’t check the facts, and won’t notice when fear is being substituted for an actual argument.

We should expect more from people asking to make decisions about our public schools.

I don’t live in District 4. BUT school board members don’t govern inside little invisible district bubbles.

Their votes affect my children, my family, our teachers, our schools, and every public-school community in Lee County.

That is why I support Debbie Jordan 4 District 4 Lee County School Board

You don’t have to agree with someone on everything to recognize the difference between independent leadership and another dependable rubber-stamp. Debbie and I certainly don’t agree on everything. And that’s actually okay.

We DESPERATELY need more people on that dais willing to ask questions instead of simply approving whatever gets placed in front of them.

We can disagree without dehumanizing each other. We can demand accountability without inventing villains. And we can choose leaders based on what they actually do- not whatever scary vocabulary word somebody pulled out of the political junk drawer this week.

Politics has enough noise. Our schools need grown-ups.

SHOW UP AND VOTE ON NOVEMBER 3rd.

09/09/2026

Someone sent me this photo from my public comment last night, and I have to say… this may be the friendliest face I’ve seen looking back at me from that dais while I’m speaking aside from one or two board members.

And that is a LOW bar.

I’ve stood at that podium while people on the dais talked to each other, stared at their phones, looked like they might nod off, or just flat-out glared me down.

So when I saw this picture I thought, “Wait… is that someone actually listening?!” 😳

All jokes aside, residents get three minutes or less to speak. They take time out of their lives to come to these meetings because they care about their schools, their tax dollars, their educators, and their kids. The very least our elected officials and district leadership can do is look up and listen.

So, credit where credit is due: I’ll take the… attentive… face. The bar may currently be underground, but hey, we’re making progress. 😏

09/09/2026

Comment 2 from last night’s regular board meeting.

At this point, you really have to wonder if the board is intentionally making itself redundant and irrelevant.

If the job is to question decisions, scrutinize spending, represent taxpayers, and hold the district accountable, but instead the answer is always “yes” - then what exactly are we paying seven elected board members to do?

Who is representing the taxpayers and the community at this point?

It ain’t 6/7 of these people…..who DO they represent?

09/09/2026

Tonight’s public comment on the approval of our more than $3 billion school district budget.
The vote was 6–1. That tells you a lot about where the priorities are.
And take a look at those empty chairs.
This continues because too many people are not engaged in local elections. A relatively small group of voters keeps deciding who sits on this board- and our students, teachers, and families live with the consequences.
In Lee County, school board races are often decided in the August primary, when turnout is significantly lower. If no candidate receives 50% plus one vote, the top two advance to November- but even then, too many voters skip the school board race at the bottom of the ballot.
Local elections matter. School board elections matter.
Public education is being changed piece by piece, vote by vote, contract by contract… and if the public isn’t paying attention, those decisions happen with very little resistance.
Pay attention. Show up. And vote all the way down the ballot.

09/05/2026

This is what it looks like when community comes together! The library at our school needed put back together after getting new floors and people from all over came to help- even a sitting Board member!!

Next up- funding a thermal book repair machine! Many of these books are in dire need of maintenance. If anyone has one or knows how to get us one, let me know!

09/01/2026

How many times and for how many years must parents fight for our district to do the right thing??? Meet the basic need of our kids being safe? Get a simple return call?

Watch out, School District of Lee County! Bus stop issues are prone to making people want to run for office…. Just sayin….

A North Fort Myers mother is urging Lee County officials to relocat...

08/28/2026

Not giving up!! I’ll always come back to the fight until the battle is won!