Linda Cothiere, a first-grade teacher at Phyllis R. Miller Elementary School, won the Miami-Dade School Board District 1 seat on Nov. 3, defeating former Miami Gardens Councilwoman Katrina Wilson 51.6% to 48.4%.

The runoff result, first reported by the Miami Times, gives Cothiere the seat vacated by former Board Member Steve Gallon III, who won a Miami-Dade County Commission seat. District 1 covers Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, North Miami and North Miami Beach.

While the district sits in north Miami-Dade, Cothiere joins a board making decisions that reach every corner of the county. Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) lost nearly 19,000 students at the start of the 2026-27 school year, WLRN reported in August. That drop followed a loss of roughly 12,000 students the year before, bringing the two-year decline to about 31,000 across the state's largest school district.

Fewer students means less state funding for academic programs, staffing and school operations.

Closures already underway

In June, the school board voted to close or merge nine public schools for the 2026-27 school year, the Miami Times reported. District leaders pointed to demographic shifts, declining birth rates, rising housing costs and the expansion of school choice options as drivers of the losses.

Gallon, who represented District 1 for about a decade before moving to the County Commission, described the competitive pressure before that vote. "Private schools, charter schools and traditional public schools are fighting for a smaller pool of children," he told the Miami Times.

A classroom perspective

Cothiere, 58, was born in Haiti and raised in Carol City. She has spent more than three decades in education, starting as a paraprofessional. She also co-hosts "The Reyni Talk Show" on 1360 AM. Her husband, Rep. Wallace Aristide, is a former principal of Miami Northwestern Senior High.

Her campaign called for eliminating repetitive teacher reporting requirements, involving working educators in policy discussions and directing local funding toward salaries that help Miami-Dade compete with neighboring counties. She also pushed for an accounting of District 1's share of the $1.2 billion school construction bond voters approved in 2012.

On enrollment, Cothiere said combining middle and high school grades could help keep underused high school buildings operating. She objected to placing elementary students inside North Miami Senior High through a planned Success Academy charter program, citing the age gap between students and a lack of family input.

"Nobody asked them, nobody asked for their opinions," Cothiere told the Miami Times before the runoff. "They just throw it in there."

She also argued that charter and private schools sharing district facilities should contribute to operating costs.

The race

Wilson led an eight-candidate primary in August with nearly 33% of the vote. Cothiere finished second with 21%. Neither reached the majority needed to avoid a runoff.

Gallon endorsed Wilson. Cothiere had the backing of United Teachers of Dade. Wilson held a financial edge, raising nearly $93,000 through her campaign account compared with Cothiere's $54,500, according to the Miami Times' review of county campaign finance records.

Cothiere takes office as incoming Superintendent Rafael Villalobos prepares to lead the district through its budget and enrollment challenges.