Two of the three candidates competing for Warren Jones’ Duval School Board District 5 seat showed up to a candidate forum Tuesday evening hosted by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Jacksonville Public Education Fund. 

Nahshon Nicks and Hank Rogers squared off against each other as they took turns answering questions in a polite – but at times tense – back-and-forth. According to event organizers, the third candidate in the race, Reggie Blount, canceled his scheduled appearance “right before the event start time.”

Blount did not respond Tuesday evening to a text sent to the number listed in his campaign filing.

Florida’s School Board elections are nonpartisan – though that could change if voters pass a constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot in November – and that means all of District 5’s registered voters will get to choose between the three in August. If one of the candidates does not earn more than 50% of the votes, the two candidates receiving the most votes will continue on to a run-off election on Nov. 5.  

Nicks and Rogers are both registered Democrats, and Rogers has the support of his party. Blount, a Republican, has an endorsement from the Duval GOP but has not received one from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as did three other candidates in Duval’s current School Board races. Rogers also ran in 2016, but lost to Warren Jones, who after serving two terms is now term-limited.

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At the forum, Nicks highlighted his own education (He has a Ph.D. in Christian education and urban leadership from New York Theological Seminary) and his experience as a small-business owner. He returned several times to the idea of proposed school closures, saying he would “fight” to keep schools open. 

“When asked the question, ‘Will you fight to keep my local neighborhood school open?’ I definitively say yes, every single time, as if my own children attended that school,” Nicks said.

He called the 2020 half-cent sales tax that voters passed for school construction and maintenance a “bait and switch” because the district is now revising its facilities plan.

Rogers, who spent two years as the chair of the citizen oversight committee tasked with monitoring how the district spends the money it receives from the tax, disagreed with Nicks’ characterization, instead pointing to changes that the state Department of Education made to regulations about how districts must share surtax revenue with charter schools.

“The bait and switch happened in Tallahassee,” Rogers said. “Tallahassee changed the rules of the game.”

Rogers, who has a master’s degree in public administration from Troy University, said his experience working as a legislative assistant in the Florida House of Representatives, and more recently as COO of a local nonprofit, gives him a perspective that will be helpful on the school board. 

Neither candidate has worked as a full-time teacher, though Rogers spent a few years as a DCPS substitute. Nicks, who does not live in District 5, runs a martial arts program for children in Jacksonville. Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland told Jacksonville Today that school board candidates can live out-of-district until elected.

Nicks said he’s the right candidate for the job because of his resilience, vision and passion.

“I got a whole lot of fire,” he said. “I am willing to work with anybody to help move our school board and our school district forward.”

Rogers said his record of service to the community speaks volumes, and said he’s long been invested in the school system.

“I’m running because I have always showed up,” Rogers said. “I have always advocated for our students.”

To learn more about the candidates’ perspectives on various issues, return to Jacksonville Today for a candidate comparison tool, coming Aug. 1. And, listen to all three candidates on First Coast Connect. Reggie Blount and Nahshon Nicks have already appeared, and Hank Rogers will be on the program on Aug. 5.

JPEF’s final forum — with District 7 candidates Melody Ann Bolduc and Sarah Ann Mannion — is Thursday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m. at the Hopewell Church, 3990 Loretto Road.