As we mark the halfway point of the 2023-2024 school year, I am pleased to report that we are off to a great start. After the disruption caused by the pandemic, the current school year has shown that our schools are, for the most part, back to normal operations.
The St. Johns County School District has earned a reputation as one of the best in the state — and a key contributing factor to that success is the quality of our amazing teachers and administrators. On Feb. 1, we will celebrate our Teachers of the Year, and in District 4, we were fortunate to have three of the five finalists selected. They include Master Chief Petty Officer Duane Spears, Navy JROTC, Allen D. Nease High School; Samantha Gayso, eighth grade English language arts, Alice B. Landrum Middle School; and Kristen Anderson, first grade, Valley Ridge Academy.
We are also thrilled to recognize Ocean Palms Elementary’s Principal Tiffany Cantwell as our district’s Principal of the Year! Many of our families know and love Tiffany from the many years she has dedicated to our community — not only as a principal, but also previously as a teacher and colleague. She is a wonderful instructional leader, and we are so grateful for her tireless work in our school community.
In other school staffing news, PVPV-Rawlings Assistant Principal Jill Hillier was promoted to principal after Dr. Jesse Gates was selected to be the principal of the new school in the Beacon Lake community, currently labeled as “OO.” Opening a new K-8 school is a large task, but we are certain he will do a terrific job!
New Schools
In addition to the new “OO” school, we will be opening another new K-8 school (“NN”) in August in the Shearwater community. In August 2025, meanwhile, our new K-8 “PP” school in the Rivertown community is expected to open. These new schools will be followed in 2026-2027 by two additional new K-8 schools “QQ” and “RR” in the Silverleaf and Nocatee communities. The school board will formally name each school once a principal for the school has been appointed and community input has been received.
As we work to build and open new schools, there is a financial impact to our school system and community. In order to balance our budget, our school district continues to reduce expenses outside of the classroom. We have several support staff positions that were funded through federal support funds that expire this year. Over the past few years, we have transferred funds from our reserves to support teacher and staff salaries.
To provide ongoing salary support, our district office and schools are evaluating staffing to see where cost savings can occur. Supporting and staffing our schools appropriately is vital, and our school board has long been proactive in allocating 97 cents of every operational dollar we receive to support our schools.
Legislative Impacts
The Florida legislative session began Jan. 9, and several bills aimed at reducing the amount of regulation and constraints on our traditional public schools have been filed. The St. Johns County Schools are very supportive of these efforts: Since 2019, our Florida school law book (with paper-thin pages) has gotten nearly an inch thicker with new laws and regulations.
While many of these laws are well intended, overregulation of traditional public schools in the competitive education marketplace is a valid concern. We hope to have some of the burdensome restraints lifted in order to increase innovation and adaptability, provide flexibility for local control and most importantly, provide the best learning environment for our students and teachers in St. Johns County. If you are interested in supporting these efforts, please consider contacting our local legislative delegation.
Finally, I would like to invite the community to attend the 2024 Character Counts! 6k/3k Run/Walk. To be held Feb. 3 at 9 a.m. at Palencia Elementary, this fun family event supports Character Counts! initiatives across our school district.
