As part of our commitment to providing you with what you need to make an informed decision in the 2026 elections, News 6 joined with the News Collaborative of Central Florida to present the Voting Central Florida 2026 Voter’s Guide.
Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.
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[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]
Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.
However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.
Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.
Seminole County School Board District 2
All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.
There are five school board districts in Seminole County.
The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.
Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.
Our News Collaborative partners at Oviedo Community News compiled the candidate responses for Seminole County School Board. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.
To see the full responses, go to the Oviedo Community News candidate page link for each candidate.
You can also see the full Oviedo Community News Voting Guide HERE.
Joshua Memminger
WEBSITE: memminger4scps.com/
Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/joshua-memminger/
Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.
If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?
- Teacher retention and support. Strong schools begin with great teachers. Seminole County must address teacher pay compression, improve classroom support, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens and create an environment where experienced educators choose to build long-term careers. Retaining great teachers benefits students, families and taxpayers alike.
- Academic achievement, particularly reading. Every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident reader. We need to strengthen early literacy, identify struggling students sooner, expand targeted interventions and use data to ensure our strategies are producing measurable results. Academic excellence should remain the district’s highest priority
- Trust through transparency and accountability. Parents, employees and taxpayers deserve leadership that is honest, accessible and accountable. The school board should ask tough questions, communicate openly, and ensure every major decision is made with the best interests of students first. Trust is built through transparency, responsible stewardship and consistent accountability.
How should the district handle teacher shortages? Teacher shortages are fundamentally a retention challenge. While recruiting talented educators is important, our first priority should be keeping the outstanding teachers we already have. That means addressing pay compression, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, providing meaningful professional support and ensuring teachers have orderly classrooms where learning can thrive. We should also strengthen partnerships with local colleges, recruit veterans and career changers, and develop mentoring programs that help new teachers succeed. Supporting teachers is one of the best investments we can make in student achievement.
Florida ranked last in the nation for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Reading proficiency is the foundation of every other academic subject. We need to get back to the fundamentals by strengthening early literacy, identifying struggling readers as early as possible and providing evidence-based interventions before students fall further behind. Schools should have the flexibility to respond to the unique needs of their students while remaining accountable for measurable improvement. We must also address chronic absenteeism because students cannot learn if they are not consistently in the classroom. Every child deserves the opportunity to become a strong reader.
What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety requires constant improvement, not complacency. I support regularly reviewing campus security, visitor management, emergency communications, reunification plans and staff training to ensure schools are prepared before emergencies occur. Safety also means maintaining orderly classrooms where teachers are supported, students understand expectations and appropriate interventions are available when needed. As a public safety leader and former School Resource Officer, I understand that safe schools are built through preparation, relationships, communication and accountability. Students learn best when they feel safe, and teachers teach best when they feel supported. We have phenomenal partnerships with the Sheriff’s Office and police departments, which I fully support and would seek to maintain well into the future.
How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Parents deserve transparency, and students deserve access to age-appropriate educational materials. Book challenges should follow a consistent, transparent review process that complies with Florida law, respects parental concerns and relies on objective educational standards rather than politics. Families should have confidence in what materials are available to their children, and decisions should always be made in the best interests of students through a fair and professional process.
What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I am honored to have earned the endorsement of several local elected officials, and I’m excited to share those announcements soon. But the endorsements I value most come from the parents, educators, public safety professionals, community leaders and residents across Seminole County who believe our schools deserve safe learning environments, strong academic achievement, fiscal responsibility, and accountable leadership.
Those endorsements weren’t earned overnight. They were built over nearly two decades of showing up, putting in the work and investing in our community. That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to the Seminole County School Board.
If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? One of my first priorities would be launching a comprehensive teacher retention initiative that examines salary compression, workplace support, professional development and classroom conditions. Strong academics begin with retaining outstanding educators. I would also advocate for improved transparency by establishing measurable performance metrics so the school board and the public can evaluate whether district initiatives are delivering meaningful results. Every decision should reflect responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and improve student outcomes.
Holton Mills
WEBSITE: www.holtonmills.com/
Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/holton-mills/
Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.
If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?
- Building a stronger classroom-to-career pipeline is one of my top priorities. Every student should graduate with a clear plan for what comes next, whether that’s employment, higher education, military service or technical training. I want the district to host an annual meeting with Seminole County’s largest employers and industry leaders to ask a simple question: What workforce skills and careers will you need over the next five years? Those conversations should help guide how we expand and refine our career and technical education programs so they align with real workforce demands. When eighth-grade students and their parents or guardians are choosing a high school pathway, they should have confidence that the programs they select can lead to meaningful careers and opportunities after graduation. By building stronger partnerships between our schools and the business community, we can prepare students for high-demand careers, support the economic growth of Seminole County and ensure every graduate leaves our schools ready to become a productive citizen and contribute to our community.
- With Florida’s expanded school voucher program, families have more educational choices than ever before. I respect every parent’s or guardian’s right to choose the option they believe is best for their child. My responsibility as a school board member is to make sure families understand why Seminole County Public Schools is an outstanding choice and to tell our story more effectively. Seminole County Public Schools has incredible teachers, strong academic programs, nationally recognized schools, and 53 career and technical education programs, yet many families simply aren’t aware of everything our district has to offer. We need to do a better job of showcasing these opportunities and helping families understand that within Seminole County Public Schools, there are countless pathways for students to succeed. Take Seminole High School as an example: Students can choose from 11 career and technical education programs offered on one campus, including the Aviation Academy, Academy of Health Careers, and culinary certification programs, while also having access to the International Baccalaureate Programme. There is no other educational option in Seminole County that offers all of those opportunities together in one place. That is the Seminole County Public Schools difference. By better marketing our schools, celebrating student and staff achievements, and highlighting the unique opportunities available across the district, we can build excitement, strengthen enrollment, and ensure more families see the value of choosing Seminole County Public Schools.
- Recruiting, retaining and developing great employees is essential to student success. While competitive compensation is important, we must also create opportunities for professional growth within Seminole County Public Schools so talented educators and staff don’t feel they have to leave the district to advance their careers. Investing in mentorship, leadership development and a culture where employees feel valued and supported will help us attract and retain the very best people for our students. I will also recommend implementing exit surveys for employees who leave the district, along with annual anonymous employee engagement and retention surveys for those who choose to stay. Understanding why employees leave is just as important as understanding why they remain. Honest feedback will help district leadership identify opportunities for improvement, strengthen workplace culture, and make informed decisions that better support, develop and retain our employees.
How should the district handle teacher shortages? There isn’t one solution to teacher shortages, and I don’t believe there’s a quick fix. If we want to recruit and retain great educators, we have to make Seminole County Public Schools a place where people want to build their careers. Competitive pay matters, and I’ll continue to support efforts to make sure our teachers and staff are fairly compensated. But I also hear from educators that they want to feel supported, respected and have opportunities to grow. We need to create stronger leadership and professional development pathways so employees don’t feel they have to leave the district to advance their careers. I also believe we should strengthen partnerships with our local colleges and universities to encourage more future educators to begin their careers in Seminole County. Finally, we need to listen. I would recommend exit surveys for employees who leave the district and annual anonymous employee engagement surveys for those who stay. Their feedback can help us better understand what’s working, what’s not, and where we need to improve.
Florida ranked last in the nation for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Reading is the foundation for everything students do in school. If a child struggles to read, it can impact every subject they take. When I worked on the communications team at the school district office, I had the opportunity to help support the Reading Acceleration Program (RAP). I saw firsthand how trained community volunteers spent time each week working one-on-one with first-grade students who needed extra help with reading. It’s a great example of what can happen when schools and the community work together to support our students. As a school board member, I would start by looking at our district’s reading data to understand where we’re making progress and where we need to do better. While Florida’s statewide ranking is concerning, it’s important that we make decisions based on what’s happening in Seminole County and focus on solutions that meet the needs of our students.
I also want to make sure our teachers have the training, resources and support they need to be successful. They’re the experts in the classroom, and their feedback should help shape our decisions. Most importantly, we have to catch students early. The sooner we identify a child who is falling behind, the sooner we can provide the support they need. Whether it’s programs like RAP, classroom interventions, or working closely with parents and guardians, helping children become confident readers early gives them the best chance to succeed for the rest of their education.
What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety will always be the top priority. Students and staff can’t focus on learning if they don’t feel safe. One thing Seminole County does exceptionally well is the partnership between Seminole County Public Schools, the Sheriff’s Office, and our School Safety and Security Division. I trust our sheriff and the professionals who lead school safety every day. In fact, our School Safety and Security Division is looked to by districts across Florida as a model for how school safety should be done. As a school board member, I don’t believe in making changes just for the sake of making changes. I will work closely with the sheriff, our School Safety and Security Division, district leadership and school administrators to make sure we continue building on what’s already working. School safety is something we should always be evaluating and improving, and I will support the strong partnership that already exists to keep our students and staff safe.
How should book challenges and library removals be handled? I believe students should have access to age-appropriate materials that support learning, encourage critical thinking and expose them to a variety of perspectives. Books can serve as both mirrors, helping students see themselves and windows, helping them understand the experiences of others. That’s an important part of preparing students to live and work in a diverse community and world. I also respect a parent or guardian’s right to make decisions about what is best for their own child. Parents should have a voice in their child’s education and I support following the established review process when concerns about instructional or library materials are raised. I don’t believe these decisions should be driven by politics or made on an individual opinion alone. They should be based on state law, district policy, educational value and age appropriateness, with input from educators, media specialists, parents and the review committees. My goal is to ensure students have access to high-quality, age-appropriate materials while respecting the role parents and guardians play in their child’s education.
What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I am proud to have earned the endorsement of the Seminole Education Association. It is an honor to have the support of the teachers and staff who dedicate their lives to serving our students every day. Their confidence in me means a great deal, and I look forward to working alongside them to continue strengthening SCPS. Beyond formal endorsements, the support that has meant the most to me has come from the people doing the work every day and those directly impacted by our schools. Parents, first-year teachers, veteran educators, ESE staff, former students, school employees and community members have reached out to share their experiences and put their trust in my campaign. Those conversations are why I’m running. Hearing directly from the people who live, work and learn in our schools reminds me why this work matters and motivates me every day.
If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? This isn’t necessarily a policy, but in my first year I would like to establish an annual workforce roundtable with Seminole County’s largest employers, industry leaders and district leadership. I want to ask one simple question: What workforce needs do you see over the next five years? Those conversations will then help shape our career and technical education programs so that when students and their families are choosing a high school pathway, they know it leads to real opportunities after graduation. I believe our schools should be preparing students not just for graduation, but for successful careers and productive lives in our community.