Candidate: Shawn R. Frost

Shawn R. Frost served as a U.S. Marine entrusted with a Top Secret clearance, former SRHS Science teacher, entrepreneur, husband of almost 20 years, and father to two students, one who recently graduated from our public schools and one still attending. He is a servant leader  blessed with the opportunity to serve as the School Board Representative for District 1 since being sworn in November 18th, 2014 and unanimously elected Chairman in November of 2017. He ran for office to STOP the federal take-over of our schools under any name, to make it easier for parents to be involved with education, and to institute a plan of Smarter School Spending that focuses on the delivery of a world-class education without undue hardship to local taxpayers. I love Indian River County and the way of life here and promised to represent our Indian River County values and have governed in keeping with these promises.

Website with my voting record

A few key votes I’ve taken or programs I’ve championed at the local level include:

• Retaining our prayer before our School Board Meetings (my first vote- Championed by Mrs. Simchick)
• Proposed and instituted a volunteer citizen Audit Committee with finance experts investigating district practices bringing a new standard of fiscal responsibility and transparency.
• Moved to a 5-year strategic plan to hold the Superintendent and administration accountable for results over time
• Instituted “American Founders Month” where every school and every grade explores our Founding Documents (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist Papers) and Founding Figures during the month of September to preserve our unique American Heritage
• Funding the Technical and Career Education Center, Opening August 2018, so students can graduate with high-paying vocational skills such as Welding, Plumbing, and Electrical trades and get right to work earning a good living without assuming college debt.
• Supporting our teachers with multi-year pay increases equaling $2,700 making Indian River County the highest average teacher pay in the 5 county area so we can recruit and retain top talent by showing them the respect our teachers deserve.
• In a May 5, 2015 workshop, I was the first to raise concerns over the Health Insurance Fund that became a $7mil shortfall and insisted that employees not bear a penny of the burden in rebuilding the insurance fund. The fund is now solvent without borrowing or raising taxes.
• Making our schools safer by placing a sworn Law Enforcement Officer /School Resource Officer at every school site so that our students not only feel safer, but ARE SAFER.
• Made our meetings more accessible and transparent by having them streamed on YouTube so they can easily be viewed and shared via social media.

Things I’ve voted against because they don’t reflect the values on which I ran:

• I’ve voted twice against budgets that imposed taxes that were unfair and unreasonable
• I’ve voted against funding legal fees for lawsuits against our neighbors that were wrong or unlikely to win. Unfortunately, I was often in the minority and the lawsuits went forward with great costs to taxpayers and our relationships with public charter school families. I supported an audit of all legal services to hold legal counsel accountable for out of control costs.
• Increased transparency by promoting the idea of having our meetings and workshops streamed on YouTube so that they can be easily viewed and shared

A few things I’ve supported or provided testimony in legislative committees in support of at the State level:

• Religious Liberty- prayer in school, preserving the rights to religious symbols and texts.
• Teacher Bonuses of $1,200 for 62% of IRC teachers rated Highly Effective and up to $800 for 34% rated effective without raising local property taxes.
• Equitable capital outlay funding for ALL public school students, whether they are in district managed or public charter schools.
• Testing reform resulting in fewer, better, tests without compromising accountability.

Programs and Initiatives that I've Supported:

• Veterans in The Classroom - Indian River Veterans Council
• Regional Science Fair (volunteer judge)- Indian River Education Foundation
• Moonshot Moment- literacy proficiency by 3rd grade- Read across the Field, Literacy Walk, 
• Very Special Arts Day- Where students with unique abilities at the Wabasso School travel to Indian River Charter High School for an experience in the visual and performing arts
• Chairman of the Agnes Peebles Scholarship Committee (2015 & 2018)- providing over $150,000 to local students for college

Saving Money on Overhead and Using It in Classrooms:

I do travel frequently to represent the teachers, parents, taxpayers and students of Indian River County in Tallahassee and have developed great relationships with legislators in leadership in both chambers while helping shape education policy but it doesn't cost the taxpayers a single penny. 

I am extremely fiscally conservative: Whenever I travel, I pay my own way. By cancelling expensive memberships, not billing for travel costs, and implementing other office cost-saving measures I save the district over $12,000 per year that goes to work where it belongs, in the classroom.

Getting Results:

All of these actions have taken Indian River County School District from a grade of "C" to a high "B".

Let's Keep Winning Together:

August 28th, 2018, every registered voter in Indian River County will have an opportunity to keep my experience and education to work for our Indian River County values at work on the school board by voting for Shawn R. Frost in the district 1 race. I humbly ask for the opportunity to continue serving the community we all love and to keep the positive trend going. To make our schools even better, please vote Shawn R. Frost for School Board August 28th. 

Biographical:

Credentials:

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) 

Former High School Science Teacher (SRHS)

Local Small Business Owner

Father to one current Public School Student and one recent graduate

Advocate for *ALL* students in Indian River County- including Home, Virtual, and Public

Past President of the Florida Coalition of School Board Members (2017)

Resident of Indian River County (other than serving in the U.S. Marines and attending college) since 1976

Assignments: 

Indian River County School Board 2014- present (unanimously elected Chairman by my peers in Nov 2017)

Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)- responsible for planning of roads, and travel out through 2045 (Vice Chairman   2017-2018)

Economic Development Council (EDC) 2014-2016

Indian River County Planning and Zoning (non-voting) 2014-present

Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments - 2014-2016

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