Name: Jason Lee Loring
Campaign website: www.loring4schoolboard.com
Date and place of birth: 31-Mar-1984 ~ Arizona
The School Board has instructed its staff to identify at least five schools to be closed in the 2025-26 school year due to declining enrollment. Do you agree or disagree with this decision and why?
It is clear that after more than a decade of declining enrollment and parents choosing to withdraw their children from Broward County Public Schools for various reasons, at a pace that exceeds new enrollment, that difficult choices need to be made. There are many things that can be done to increase the enrollment at schools by engaging communities and implementing programs that meet the needs and wishes of the communities. I believe that making data driven decisions is important, but all efforts should be made before making the decision to close a school. I know that there was much controversy over the recent school closure discussions regarding District 3 schools, Bennett Elementary and Virginia Shuman Young Elementary. I was particularly disappointed to see that in my opponent’s tenure she has failed to engage the Bennett Elementary community and help them create programs that will attract and retain students. Instead, the school board considered a plan that would have destroyed the successful program at Virginia Shuman Young with a poorly thought out facility switch. During the “Repurposing” discussion, the residents kept asking, “Why would the Broward County School Board take a successful Montessori program from Virginia Shuman Young Elementary and place it into Bennett Elementary, instead of just copying the already successful Montessori program from Virginia Shuman Young Elementary and implementing the Montessori program into Bennet Elementary?” As for closing schools in the district overall, there may still need to be schools that are repurposed. Broward County is a community that should prioritize learning at every age, and our schools and decisions should reflect that prioritization. I believe that it is important to engage with advisory boards and local governments in order to understand the needs within communities.
The School Board voted in April to install walk-through metal detectors in all high schools by fall. Do you agree or disagree with this decision and why?
For the most part, I agree with schools in Broward County having walk-through metal detectors. Although they are an inconvenience to some students, staff and parents, they may very well be our first line of defense when it comes to preventing another school shooting. Unfortunately, nothing good comes without its own downfalls. These metal detectors will cause a back up at the entrances, costing the Broward County School Board a substantial amount of money in equipment and staffing. Other school boards throughout Florida have also installed metal detectors, and they have had very good success.
What does Broward need to do to reach an A rating from the state?
The self-identified mission of Broward County Public Schools is “educating all students to reach their highest potential.” One of the ways to measure if their mission is being accomplished is through the state rating system, which includes four achievement components. These components are English/language arts, math, science and social studies test scores, measuring middle school students’ passage of end of course exam and industry certifications, graduation rates and measuring high school students’ college and career readiness through successful completion of EOC, IB, Cambridge, industry certification, AP and Armed Services Qualification exams. If Broward Schools is truly meeting its mission, it will be easy to demonstrate it using this measure. Broward County was rated a “B” using this measure in 2021-22 and 2022-2023 under my opponent’s leadership, while Palm Beach and Miami-Dade were rated as “A” districts in the same years. Our kids deserve better. When elected, I will ensure our district receives an “A” rating. Teaching and learning are the core business of any school. Based on the data, a renewed focus on teaching English/language arts, math and science should be the first priority. Expansion of industry certifications for our middle, high and community school students is a must for students to be career ready. Much of the school board’s time currently seems to be spent on discussions that have little to do with improving in these three areas, therefore school district staff and board members are not focused on teaching and learning. This is exacerbated by the revolving door of superintendents, which I will discuss in a later question.
The School Board agreed in April to resolve a legal dispute with the state and charter schools, which could result in $108 million in taxpayer funds going to charters. Do you agree with this decision? Why or why not?
This decision to resolve the legal dispute with the charter schools wasn’t an easy decision to make. Had the Broward County School Board done what was right in the first place, they would not have been in this situation. I agree with this decision to resolve the legal dispute because at the end of the day, they are doing what is legally correct, but of course, it is after the fact. If this litigation had continued, I fear that the Broward County School Board could potentially owe even more money to the charter schools, money that they apparently do not currently have.
How would you assess the performance of Superintendent Howard Hepburn?
Due to the whiplash management style that my opponent has demonstrated since entering this seat in 2020, she has hired and lost, through resignation or pending termination, three superintendents and appointed several interim superintendents. The fourth superintendent, Dr. Howard Hepburn, has been in place for only two-and-a-half months as I answer this question, having only taken the role on April 16, 2024. I am hopeful that, as the third full superintendent to be appointed in the last three years, that he will be the leader that the district needs, but it is far too soon to tell. I supported his withdrawal of the boundary recommendation that would have had a negative impact on District 3 and look forward to working with him once elected.
List in reverse chronological order each college or university attended with years of attendance.
Atlantic Technical College ~ Carpentry ~ 2021/2022
McFatter Technical College ~ Electricity ~ 2018/2019
Aveda Institute Las Vegas NV ~ Cosmetology ~ 2008/2009
Santa Rosa Junior College ~ Nursing ~ 2005/2006
Winslow High School class of 2002
List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
Power and Play Motorsports ~ Mechanic ~ 2023
Business Owner ~ Hero Handyman Services ~ 2005 to current
Business Owner ~ Nirvana Salon and Spa Retreat ~ 2018/2022
Business Owner ~ JLoring Salon and Spa ~ 2010 till name change in 2018
United States Army ~ War Veteran ~ 2003/2005
Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details of the case and disposition.
No
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
No
Why should voters elect you instead of your opponent(s)?
I am the only candidate in this race that is a proud product of Broward County Public Schools. I have several industry certifications including electrician, carpentry and cosmetology. The work I did earning those certifications and putting them to use brings a unique perspective that the current school board is lacking. Having grown up in a small town, I was raised on two very important values that I hold near and dear to my heart, “Honesty” and “Caring.” My grandmother was the parent who was bluntly honest and my grandfather was the one with the super big heart. The two of them together inspired me in two different ways. After I left home to join the United States Army and after spending eight months in Iraq, I gained a couple other values: integrity and dedication. If the voters choose to elect me, they will be doing so because they too are ready for change. My competitor ran her previous campaign on transparency. Time and time again, I have been told by parents and teachers that decisions were made without parents, teachers and other employees’ knowledge or input. This includes school closures proposals and the new policy to strategically limit evacuation of classrooms during a bomb threat.
What in your life experience best qualifies you to serve as a school board member?
As a veteran of the United States Army, I was taught certain values that qualify me to serve as your next Broward County School Board member. Values such as dedication, integrity, discipline, accountability and courage. As a Broward County School Board member, I will be dedicated to every student’s success, and I will also be dedicated to the success of the Broward County School Board itself. I will do this with the utmost honesty and transparency. I will show my discipline to do the job by showing up to every meeting prepared with a willingness to listen to the general public, parents, students, teachers, principals other Broward County School Board members and all other staff members of the Broward County School Board. As a Broward County School Board member, I will be responsible for the safety and well-being of every child in Broward County. I will also be responsible for making tough decisions. As a veteran of the war in Iraq, I had to make extremely tough decisions that could have cost the safety of civilians and my fellow soldiers. I made these decisions rapidly while quickly evaluating the pros and cons of every situation with courage and success. As a business owner and entrepreneur, I was solely responsible for the hiring and firing of employees. I was also responsible for budgeting accordingly in order to keep from being forced to close down a business due to understaffing or mismanagement of finances. As your next Broward County School Board member, I look forward to assisting the superintendent and the other School Board staff with getting the budget back on track to success. I will dedicate every second for the next four years to achieving these goals. Your children’s futures deserve it.
