Cynthia West

Strongly Agree

I believe life begins at conception and ends at natural death

I had my first child at 16 years old, which is one reason I am adamantly pro-life and support resources for women facing crisis pregnancies. Today, my son is 26 years old and has served his country honorably. I believe God can use all things for His glory, including an unexpected or unwanted pregnancy.

Strongly Agree

I was a single mom who had my first child at 16 years old. I qualified for Pell Grants, chose an affordable state college for my undergraduate degree to avoid unnecessary debt, and worked my way through school while raising a child. Eventually, I earned my master’s degree. There are resources and opportunities available for people willing to pursue them, including grants, scholarships, military service, apprenticeships, and employer-sponsored education benefits. What I do support is making sure

In the state of Florida, our governor and legislature have made it clear that education funding follows the student. We now have a robust educational choice model that allows public dollars to follow students whether they attend private school, homeschool, charter school, or traditional public school. I support this model and I support parental rights because parents know their children better than government does and are in the best position to determine which educational path is best

As a school board member, my job is governance, which means ensuring our district follows the laws as written by the Florida Legislature and interpreted by the courts. I understand that the phrase “separation of church and state” is not found in our founding documents but comes from a letter discussing the government’s role in preventing the establishment of religion. As a Christian, I support faith and the values it brings to many families and communities. I also recognize that public schools

Strongly Agree

I support enforcing our immigration laws and understand the role ICE plays in public safety. That said, public schools should be handled sensitively. Schools are places for learning, and whenever possible, immigration enforcement should occur outside of the school setting. At the same time, I do not support creating sanctuary policies that could be exploited and potentially put students or staff at risk. The goal is to balance compassion for children, the rule of law, and student safety.

Strongly Disagree

I firmly disagree with abortion providers or gender-affirming providers being used for instruction or services in our schools. Setting aside my personal and moral beliefs, this is fundamentally a parental rights issue. It is not the government’s responsibility or right to raise children. That responsibility belongs to parents. Schools exist to educate children and prepare them for successful futures, not to make deeply personal medical, moral, or family decisions.

Strongly Agree

Consequences for bad behavior create structure, accountability, and a safe, orderly environment where students and teachers can focus on learning. Expectations only work when they are consistently enforced. Adhering to policies and procedures is also fiscally responsible, as those guardrails exist for a reason—to protect students, support staff, ensure fairness, and reduce unnecessary liability and costs to taxpayers. Structure, accountability, and consistency are essential to success

Strongly Agree

As Ronald Reagan famously said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” If we fail to prepare the next generation to preserve freedom, everything previous generations fought for could be lost. Part of that preparation means educating our children about the formation of this great country and the principles upon which it was founded.

Strongly Agree

I agree with eliminating the Dept of Ed, My understanding is that protections and services for students with IEPs and special needs are being maintained, with some responsibilities potentially shifting to agencies such as Health and Human Services. If that is the case, it may actually be a better fit for delivering resources while opening additional funding avenues and reducing bureaucracy. I support streamlining the Department of Education

As someone who had my first child at 16 and is strongly pro-life, I believe sex education should be science-based and respectful of parental rights. As a school board member, I do not create curriculum, but I am grateful for a conservative legislature that has established clear and stringent requirements regarding sex education in our schools. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and schools should respect and support that role.

1. Language Arts 2. Mathematics 3. American History 4. Civics 5. Science 6. Foreign Language 7. Art & Music 8. Physical Fitness 9. Information Technology 10. Personal Finances 11. Vocational Learning

Strongly Agree

The purpose of a public school is straightforward, and we lose our way when we forget it: to launch young people who are ready to succeed in life. That means graduates equipped to provide for themselves and their families, to contribute meaningfully to their communities, and to take up the responsibilities of citizenship in a free republic.

Strongly Agree

Our children are too precious to be trapped in a system that has no incentive to serve them well. That’s the heart of the case for education choice. In nearly every other part of American life, we accept a basic truth: competition makes things better. We’re a capitalist nation, and we’ve seen across countless industries that when providers have to earn people’s business, quality rises, costs come under pressure, and the people being served come first. A monopoly that can fail its customers and k

Strongly Disagree

I believe biological males should not participate in female sports or occupy spaces such as girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms. We have fought hard to ensure girls have access to athletic opportunities, and we have a responsibility to protect the fairness of women’s sports as well as privacy and safety in spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms.

I’m new on my walk with God—about two and a half years. It has fundamentally shifted everything: the way I see the world, the way I show up as a mother, and the way I engage with my community. I’m not perfect. But I’m getting better, and I’m so grateful for God’s grace. I’ve come to understand that serving others is how we serve God. That’s why I’m running for school board—because I believe He called me to, and being responsible to Him means obedience, even when I can’t see the whole road ahead. I don’t know the outcome, and that’s not what this is about. I’m just doing the next right thing and trusting Him with the results.

Strongly Agree

It’s not the government right or responsibility to raise children

Strongly Agree

This applies for all skin colors. I do not agree with critical race theory or DEI principles.

Strongly Agree

I personally believe marriage is between a man and a woman. But our courts have ruled otherwise, and in governance we have a responsibility to apply the rule of law—my job is to uphold it, not substitute my personal beliefs for it. I also believe we’re called to be kind. I do not support bullying anyone based on sexual orientation. I may hold my own convictions, but God commands us to love—and that same faith calls me to respect the laws we live under.

Strongly Agree

Our children’s mental health deserves real care. Conditions that cause genuine distress—whether anorexia, gender dysphoria, or anything else—should be properly diagnosed and treated by qualified professionals and families, not simply affirmed. That’s why I stand firmly for parental rights, consistent with recent Supreme Court rulings. A school’s job is to educate—not to diagnose, treat, or facilitate decisions about a child’s mental health behind a parent’s back.

Strongly Disagree

How do you define experts? I believe the true experts are the parents and this boils down to a parental rights conversation

Strongly Disagree

We should not protect our beer in a stronger fashion than we do our ballots

No

No

Choose not to answer

I became politically active around the same time I found my faith, so about 2 1/2yrs. Thats when I started voting in primaries

Republican

Very Conservative

Strongly Agree

We have state legislation in Florida that allows for this given psychological evaluation, and appropriate training. In governance, we must adhere to law