Superintendent touts Clay County growth, student outcomes and investments at State of Schools address

Erin Skipper, chair of the Clay County School Board, opened the annual State of Schools address, welcoming elected officials and community partners and turning the program over to Superintendent David Broski.

At the State of Schools event, Superintendent David Broski provided a wide-ranging overview of district growth, operations, student experience and staffing. He framed the presentation around historic photos and data to show how Clay County District Schools has expanded and how the district is preparing for future enrollment increases.

Broski said Clay County Schools is "not just a good school system. It's a great school system," citing the district's A rating from the Florida Department of Education and a 95% graduation rate. He noted Clay County is one of 14 Florida districts with an A rating and that Orange Park Elementary is the state's top-ranked public elementary school.

Growth and facilities

Broski described rapid community and housing growth: he said roughly 19,000 new homes are projected in the county over the next seven to eight years and pointed to planned construction and developer activity concentrated along the First Coast Expressway corridor. To meet rising enrollment, the district has short-, mid- and long-range facility plans and is adding capacity now:…