Flagler County School leaders on Aug. 26 told the board the district maintained a B district grade and saw gains in ELA, math, science and graduation rate, but reported a drop in kindergarten readiness tied largely to a state cut‑score change. Miss O’Brien, presenting school grade results and strategic plan progress, said the district ended the year “2 points away from an A.”

Why it matters: school grades and kindergarten‑readiness measures shape district strategy, funding discussions and early‑childhood outreach. A higher kindergarten cut score can materially change year‑to‑year readiness rates even if local instruction is unchanged.

Highlights from the update: ELA achievement and math showed growth; grade‑level wins included a 15‑point overall increase at Belterra, a 30‑point overall increase at Flagler Palm Coast High School (FPC), a 19‑point gain at Rimfire Elementary, and double‑digit gains in several specific content areas (grade 8 math +15%, grade 10 biology +15%). The district reported college and career acceleration is expected to rise by roughly 12 percentage points based on initial lag data for the graduation cohort.

On kindergarten readiness, O’Brien said the district’s overall readiness fell from 53% to 49%. She told the board the state raised the cut score used for the assessment from 690 to 707 this year; Flagler‑run VPK completers actually increased from 58% to 62% when compared on the new cut score, the presentation noted, indicating the aggregate decline is tied to scoring changes and differences among provider groups.

Equity and subgroup work: the district reported progress on federally monitored subgroup thresholds. The number of schools below the 41% federal minimum for students with disabilities decreased since 2023, though several schools still remain under that threshold for that subgroup. The district named it as a continuing focus.

Resiliency and operations: student chronic absenteeism rose to 8.82% by the end of the year, driven by a late‑year increase between April and May; staff said ParentSquare’s parent excusal feature and a district attendance plan aim to improve excusal reporting and to underscore that school is still in session through May. The district’s new employee wellness center is in early use; staff reported about 17% participation among employees enrolled in district insurance and will deliver a fuller utilization report in October after open enrollment closes.

Talent and operations: instructional vacancies were below the district target on Day 1 of each semester (2.8% fall and 1.6% spring); food service measured a drop in meals‑per‑labor‑hour because of reduced breakfast participation and lower smart‑snack sales. Technology staff described a comprehensive professional learning plan (with AI training components) slated for completion in the 2025–26 school year.

Next steps: staff proposed a stakeholder engagement period from Sept.–Dec. to gather feedback and a timeline to draft a new strategic plan for board review in spring 2026 and final adoption in July 2026.

No vote was required; this was an informational, year‑end review and planning timeline for the board’s consideration.