James Jacobs
James 'Coach' Jacobs, 44, is dean of students, athletic director and a coach at a Jacksonville charter school, with earlier work as a paraprofessional, truancy officer, ESE assistant and physical education teacher. He holds a bachelor's in public safety management from Florida State College at Jacksonville and a master's in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University, where he is pursuing a doctorate. He has previously run for Jacksonville City Council and for the school board.
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Sources last checked 2026-09-18. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Teacher and staff pay Strongly agrees· stated position
Jacobs' campaign website lists teacher pay as the first of three top priorities, calling for making competitive teacher pay a district priority and supporting a living wage for teachers and staff. He also lists higher stipends for part-time coaches and support for facilities and cafeteria employees.
"Our educators deserve to be paid like the professionals they are."
School safety approach Mixed / neutral· stated position
Jacobs' campaign website calls for professional school-security solutions so that security staff handle safety and teachers can teach. It separately lists mental health as a priority, including more mental-health training and suicide-awareness education.
"Safe schools, done the right way — let trained security professionals do their jobs, and let our teachers teach."
No public position found on 5 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property taxes, Education & school choice, Gender identity laws, Library and classroom materials. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Teacher retention and school culture — Jacobs says retention depends on creating a culture where teachers feel respected, supported and heard, with access to meaningful professional development.
- Accessibility — Jacobs' campaign site commits him to being 'present, accessible, and accountable to the families of District 4.'
- School construction and closures — Jacobs says the district should be building schools rather than closing them, and lists renovating older schools to improve learning environments.
- Student meals and programming — Jacobs says he would protect free breakfast and lunch, expand after-school and summer programs for students with emotional-behavioral disabilities, and reinstate middle school sports teams.
- School closures — Jacobs said the district should rebuild and upgrade schools in District 4 before closing them, calling the schools the heart of the community; his campaign site says "We should be building schools, not closing them."