Trevor Tucker is one of three candidates running for the District 4 seat on the Flagler School Board. He faces fellow challenger Ron Long and incumbent candidate Christy Chong.
The 2026 primary election is on Tuesday, August 18. Flagler County voters will be able to vote for the District 1, District 2, and District 4 seats. School Board races are nonpartisan and open to all county voters.
The District 4 race will appear on the primary ballot. If one of the three candidates receives at least one vote over 50.0%, they will win the election then and there. If none do, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election on November 3.
Other Candidate Interviews
Flagler County Commission:
Flagler School Board:
- Jill Woolbright (District 1)
- Christy Chong (District 4)
- Ron Long (District 4)
- Trevor Tucker (District 4)
Palm Coast City Council:
Interview Criteria
- The object of the interview is not to grill the candidate, nor to give them softballs. Ideally, in their answers the candidates provide to voters a useful insight into their ideology, their priorities, and their knowledgeability and preparedness for office.
- These questions are sent to each declared candidate in Flagler County’s local elections. All candidates running for the same office received the same exact questions.
- The only edits made are for spelling, formatting and basic grammar (i.e., ‘their’ when it should be ‘there’). Censorship of profanity may also be applied if it were applicable. Otherwise, answers are presented in their full form as the candidate provides them.
- Answers are subject to fact-checking if they contain information that’s blatantly misleading or untrue (misrepresenting factually verifiable information, misquoting a statistic, etc). Clarifications will be added underneath the candidate’s answer if applicable. The answers will still be presented as given even if a fact-check or clarification is needed.
Candidate Interview
Date of Birth: January 12, 1976
Hometown: Bunnell, FL
Career/Educational Resume:
Business Owner Sun Country Pest Control 2001 to Current
Flagler County School Board 2010 to 2022
Educational Consulting 2020-2023
1) Order these three groups according to how strongly you feel a School Board member is tasked with serving them: students, teachers, and parents.
“Students first, parents second, teachers third.”
2) Describe any career experience you have in which you directly worked in or with the public education system. If none applies, explain how any other experience you have would directly apply to the education aspects of School Board duties.
“I served 12 years on Flagler County School Board from 2010 to 2022. I owned and ran an educational consulting company that turned around failing schools (PSTT Educational Consulting DBA Educational Management Consultant Service Turnaround).”
3) How would you assess the School Board’s productivity and decorum over the past two years?
“The school board has done the requirements of the law by updating policy and changing policy to enforce changes in law. The board has not created or pushed the superintendent to create any new programs that benefit students that were not required by law. Some members of the board have not treated the other members with the proper respect which, would be expected from other board members.
“Members should act professional and appreciate the other board members point of view, even when opposed. Strong boards can have opposite views but always act in a professional manner.”
4) In recent years the School Board has navigated multiple issues which became political lightning rods. How does an effective School Board member remain focused on students when the situation attracts mass political attention from the county and beyond?
“The board should never find a political situation that must be delt with immediately. The board’s function is to plan and review financial decisions. Acting hastily because it is a hot topic is not the role of the board. If it is an emergency then the superintendent has the authority to deal with the situation.
“Focusing on policy that will enable students to become either career ready or move to higher education must always be the focus. If a topic arises that the board wishes to address it should be workshopped always. After it is workshopped and board members still wish to move forward, only then should the topic be addressed at a meeting with a motion. Following procedure will ensure the board does not rush to any judgement that could be a negative for students.”
5) Florida passed universal school choice in 2023. As someone who hopes to be a leader within the school district, do you believe Flagler Schools is the best choice available to parents? Why or why not?
“I believe Flagler Schools is the best choice for students in Flagler County. The main reason a parent should choose Flagler Schools is the options available to students. Flagler Schools has robust arts, music, sports, and multiple paths for accelerated curriculum. A few examples are IB, AICE, construction, vet tech, fire academy to name a few.”
6) On a similar note, educators and other faculty may view Flagler Schools as one option among several other school districts. What will you advocate for to make Flagler Schools a more attractive place to work?
“In order to attract and retain teachers and staff, Flagler Schools must be competitive in wages. Outside of wages the schools must have appropriate working conditions. These conditions include a safe working environment for teachers and students. Creating policy that drives clear expectations and accountability creates safe respectable learning environments for students and teachers. Having clean and up to date classrooms gives teachers the space and tools needed to do their job.
“Last is creating a culture of appreciation. All staff members should be admired for their work with students. If the board promotes these working conditions then, teachers and staff will want to stay in Flagler.”
7) Are there any new or underutilized revenue streams you can name that Flagler Schools might tap into to support its budget? If so, expand upon your proposal for implementation.
“I do not know of any new revenue streams that could be used, but getting the state to loosen how revenue could be spent would help the district. Property values have increased but, Flagler Schools facilities have remained the same. The 1.5 mills for capital has increased. Costs to maintain these facilities has increased but, not at the pace of the increase in the 1.5 mills. Getting the state to give school districts the flexibility to use these dollars for general fund could have an impact on education.”
8) How would you define a successful working relationship between the School Board and the superintendent?
“A successful relationship between a board and a superintendent comes down to communication. The board should never be surprised by actions the superintendent takes, just as the superintendent should not be surprised by board members actions. Once communication is established then trust between the board and superintendent can begin to grow.
“If the board trusts the superintendent to do their job and the superintendent trusts the board to do their job; students, parents, staff, and the community will see a unified front for quality education in the district. Seeing the superintendent and board act as a unit vs individual would be large measure of success.”
