Seabreeze High principal presents academic gains; commissioners pledge $10,000 ARPA gift

Seabreeze High School Principal Tucker Harris presented Sept. 17 to the Daytona Beach City Commission on the school’s academic performance, highlighting statewide rankings and gains over the past two years.

Harris said Seabreeze is “now ranks number eighteenth in the entire state of Florida for traditional high school” and noted growth across several grading components, including large improvements for the school’s lowest-performing quartile in subjects such as math and U.S. history. He reported increases in proficiency and learning gains and described expansion of career and technical education (CTE) programs: more than half the school’s roughly 1,600 students participate in CTE programs and 167 juniors and seniors were enrolled in work-based learning.

Commissioners praised the faculty and staff. Commissioner Paul Armee and Commissioner Paula Reed said they were “prepared to offer you $10,000 in ARPA funds very soon” and arranged to present the check publicly; Armee asked that the check be designated “principal discretion.” Principal Harris accepted the gift.

The commission also discussed hosting a joint celebration for schools at the end of the Christmas parade to present awards and recognize academic achievement. No formal appropriation vote was taken at the meeting — the pledge was announced as forthcoming and staff indicated the check presentation would be coordinated.