Superintendent highlights district gains; sets sights on reaching No. 1 in Florida

Superintendent Dr. Moore briefed the board and community on academic outcomes spanning five years and emphasized recent improvements that moved the district to a top-five statewide ranking. Nut graf: The presentation highlighted gains in English language arts, mathematics and science for several subgroups and schools; the superintendent said the district will pursue a target of a year’s worth of growth for every student and set a stated goal of becoming the No. 1 district in Florida. Dr. Moore reviewed state accountability measures and subgroup data, asking the board to focus on the last three years. He reported that overall proficiency rose from 48% to 60% and cited subgroup improvements—white students from 59% to 69%, Black students from 33% to 49%, and Hispanic students from 41% to 53%—over the period he emphasized. He also said the district improved in state rankings: overall ELA ranking moved from 38 of 67 to 13, and the district is now “a number 5 district” in Florida. He highlighted individual school gains, naming Dodgertown, Glendale, Vero Beach Elementary, Gifford Middle School, Sebastian River schools and Storm Grove Middle School as examples that moved up letter grades or maintained A status. He noted that 100% of the district’s schools were now A or B under the state system, a change from 47% at an earlier point. The superintendent credited teachers, principals and staff and described district initiatives supporting the gains, including leadership professional development, school-site leadership teams, and a new SDIRC app to improve parent communication. He said the district will use targeted goals to continue growth and described a strategy to ensure students make measurable learning gains, with particular emphasis on accelerating growth for students starting at lower levels. Public commenters and board members praised the results. Margaret Murray, vice chair of Education Champions, thanked staff for the “deep commitment to academic excellence.” Jennifer Pippen of Moms for Liberty also commended the district’s transparency and said test scores were rising. Ending: Dr. Moore closed by setting an aspirational aim to accelerate progress next year and reiterated the district’s commitment to “a year’s worth of growth” for every student as staff and schools begin the 2025–26 school year.