I'm James Evans

and I’m running for the Seminole County School Board, District 2.

About Me

Seminole County is my home

Hello Neighbor!

I am a fellow Seminole County native, a local business owner, and a Realtor who has spent his entire career serving our community both personally and professionally. I was born and raised right here in Seminole County, and I still live in sleepy Winter Springs with my aging mother, whom I take care of, and my amazing eight year old son. Today, I am asking for your vote to be your next Seminole County School Board Member for District 2!

I am a graduate of Seminole County Public Schools. I attended Keeth and Winter Springs Elementary Schools, Indian Trails Middle School, and Winter Springs High School.  I’ve always loved my hometown, and so I stayed to attend Seminole State College and the University of Central Florida where I studied Economics.  Go Knights!

Community Service

Community service has been and continues to be an integral part of my life. As a child, I served in multiple capacities at my church, and as I grew older, I was drawn to volunteer with the Prosecution Alternatives for Youth (PAY) Program run by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.  In that capacity, I worked in Teen Court as a defense attorney and jury member all throughout high school. I grew to love that program so much that as soon as I turned 22, I obtained state certification to become a volunteer counselor and Teen Court Judge to listen and help the at-risk youth sent to the PAY Program in an even more involved capacity. Sadly, I was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, and with Covid running rampant through the country, I decided to step away.  To this day, I remain one of the longest serving volunteers in PAY history.

Today, I sit on the Board of Directors for Warrior in Me Charity, a non-profit dedicated to providing happiness and adventures for those suffering with cancer in Central Florida. And while I’m passionate about helping those who fight cancer, I’m equally passionate about supporting our teachers. Every year, I have proudly sponsored a teacher with school supplies to aid them in the upcoming school year. I have consistently donated money to teacher needs and have since I started in real estate in 2016. When I was notified in August of 2021 that South Seminole Academy’s clinic was woefully in need of basic medical and hygiene supplies, I happily answered the call to donate the needed items and was critical of our school board for their lack of foresight in budgeting. At my son’s own school, I had the pleasure to discuss making positive life choices to multiple classrooms, and I feel the teachers and staff know that I’m always there if there is a need.

Community Service

Community service has been and continues to be an integral part of my life. As a child, I served in multiple capacities at my church, and as I grew older, I was drawn to volunteer with the Prosecution Alternatives for Youth (PAY) Program run by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.  In that capacity, I worked in Teen Court as a defense attorney and jury member all throughout high school. I grew to love that program so much that as soon as I turned 22, I obtained state certification to become a volunteer counselor and Teen Court Judge to listen and help the at-risk youth sent to the PAY Program in an even more involved capacity. Sadly, I was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, and with Covid running rampant through the country, I decided to step away.  To this day, I remain one of the longest serving volunteers in PAY history.

Today, I sit on the Board of Directors for Warrior in Me Charity, a non-profit dedicated to providing happiness and adventures for those suffering with cancer in Central Florida. And while I’m passionate about helping those who fight cancer, I’m equally passionate about supporting our teachers. Every year, I have proudly sponsored a teacher with school supplies to aid them in the upcoming school year. I have consistently donated money to teacher needs and have since I started in real estate in 2016. When I was notified in August of 2021 that South Seminole Academy’s clinic was woefully in need of basic medical and hygiene supplies, I happily answered the call to donate the needed items and was critical of our school board for their lack of foresight in budgeting. At my son’s own school, I had the pleasure to discuss making positive life choices to multiple classrooms, and I feel the teachers and staff know that I’m always there if there is a need.

Why Am I Running?

So, why did I enter this race?  Simply stated, my heart compelled me.  Over the years, I have seen how more and more of our kids are suffering. They are suffering from the trauma of a global pandemic, an epidemic of violence in our schools, and the mental health crises these issues have created. And in the face of all that, what I saw was the same group of local politicians running for school board and offering nothing to solve our children’s problems. Then, Uvalde happened, and everything changed. I gathered my team that very same week and jumped right into this race to be the change that ends the suffering.

Uvalde, Texas left a lasting impression on me.  When I heard the news of those children slain at Robb Elementary, all I could think at that moment was my eight year old son and his panic-struck face as he huddled helplessly in a corner wondering if he would be next.  A few days later, my son asked me some painful questions.  He asked why Uvalde happened and could it happen to him. I can’t tell you how deeply those questions cut me inside. I knew I couldn’t sit idle.  After Uvalde, I knew I had to run because I could do better.  Our citizens, our county, and our students DESERVE better.

I’m proud of the platform my team and I have put together, and I think it will resonate with all citizens of Seminole County. That’s why I’m asking for your vote on August 23rd for Seminole County School Board, District 2! and I have put together, and I think it will resonate with all citizens of Seminole County. That’s why I’m asking for your vote on August 23rd for Seminole County School Board, District 2!

My Platform

As a Member for District 2, I will focus on these key points:

Transparency

The free exchange of ideas is crucial to knowing what our schools need and how policy affects children in the classroom. That is why the first item on my agenda as a School Board Member will be to revoke the existing policy that restricts streaming of public comments in various school board media channels.  In addition to this, I will also bright to light the gross proficiency differences in our schools.  While we have very high performing schools, we also have too many schools failing our students, and much of that divide is an income disparity. I will lead the charge in holding the Superintendent accountable for any money received for Title I spending and how it relates to academic performance in our underserved students. Lastly, I will further support our teachers and their classrooms by stopping the current unspoken policy of sweeping discipline under the rug.

School Safety

Our schools are dutifully served by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. I intend to further that relationship by creating bi-annual workshops to identify and address the needs of the SRDs in our schools.  I stand firm that we will continue to have SRD’s in every school in Seminole County!

Mental Health

We must understand that mental health is what determines whether we have successful schools or violent schools. Sadly, Seminole County Public Schools’ mental health departments are grossly understaffed, and the counselors that perform mental health check-ins are woefully overworked. I will task our Superintendent to find grants that help us increase our partnership with Aspire Health and put more mental health counselors in our schools. I will also work to create information pipelines between the various services within our county that impact our children’s lives to better identify and provide interventions for at-risk youths. As a first step toward this goal, I will ensure our SRDs and counselors are receiving paperwork from the Sheriff’s Office when students are arrested and a TASC sheet is filled out.

Teacher Support

One thing I know for sure is that teachers are some of the most dedicated and caring professionals in the world. At the end of the day, they hold the keys to moving our schools forward. I want to create a roundtable of principals and veteran staff to bring forward new policy ideas for teacher mentoring, professional development, and retention that all schools can use and allow everyone a voice at the table. We must protect these vital workers.

Working Process

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Endorsed By:

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John Doe

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Jenna Smith

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Samuel Stevens

Donate Now

I appreciate your support and look forward to serving you as we continue this worthwhile journey together!

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