James Presley was born and raised in Wildwood, where he was known for his love of basketball.

But when his basketball career ended in Germany, he was hired by Eckerd Family Youth Alternatives in Brooksville in 1994. This would be the beginning of a 32-year career working with children in Florida’s  Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and public education as a camp counselor, youth community control counselor, group director, teacher, coach and a respected principal/assistant principal.

Presley was a four-year starter men’s basketball at Flagler College from 1986-1990 and earned NAIA all-District 25 honors three times. He is among the all-time leaders in several categories including points (1243), rebounds (646) and field goals made (472).

Presley’s 243 rebounds in the 1989-90 season ranks seventh in the history of the program. He was also part of Flagler’s 131-85 demolition of Embry-Riddle in the 1988-89 season. He was also selected as the team’s most valuable player twice and was into

In 2008, Presley was inducted Flagler College Hall of Fame and in 2019, he was inducted into Wildwood High’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Presley’s administrative career started at his alma mater, Wildwood High School in 2002. He served as an assistant principal there for nine years and two years as the principal at Wildwood Middle High School. Years later, he became the principal of Sumter Alternatives School and after building five systems for non-traditional students, the school became Sumter PREP Academy in 2013.

Today, Presley is a national speaker at multiple education conferences and was named the 2024-2025 Principal of the Year for Sumter County Schools. He’s now entering his 14th year as the founding principal of Sumter PREP Academy.

“As an instructional leader, I am responsible for building a culture of leadership, recognition, support, academics and empowerment,” Presley says.

Sumter PREP Academy is known for its Positive Response Educational Program that helps students to close academic, behavioral and social gaps using the five systems Presley built: Leadership/Vision; Recognition/Celebration; Academics/Attendance; Intervention/Support and Empowerment/Employment.

With that, the “PREP” has received international, national, state and local recognition. Recently, Governor Ron DeSantis recognized Sumter PREP Academy for demonstrating student growth and teaching excellence.

This past school year, Sumter PREP Academy was 8 points short of receiving the highest rating for an alternative school. And for the 2026-2027 school year, its mission is Intervening and Supporting Commendable Systems., meaning, the team will be very intentional about providing interventions and support to ensure that the other systems unlock student success.

Students at Sumter PREP can participate with CareerSource Central Florida’s high school career express; a career exploration program for high school juniors and seniors that bridges the gap between education and employment.

The 10-week initiative connects students with local employers/industries through site visits, mentoring, tours and interactive experiences to build practical skills, expand their professional networks and gain a clearer understanding of the career pathways available after graduation.

Photos provided by: James Presley