Q: The first day of school for St. Johns County was yesterday, Aug. 16. Can you share any insights on the day?
A: I visited 11 schools yesterday, in keeping with my tradition of visiting as many schools as I can on the first day of school. I was so pleased to see that all was well — students and teachers were happy to be there and all were engaged in learning. Year over year, we experienced 13 percent growth at our schools, some of which can be attributed to a lot of students returning to brick and mortar schools from virtual. Additionally, since we do the staggered start for our kindergarteners, only one-quarter of kindergarten students are included.

Q: Can you address the traffic issues?
A: On the first day of school, we experienced traffic issues throughout the district. We are well aware that there were a number of headaches, but we expect them to be ironed out very soon. This is not uncommon on the first day of school.

Q: How did the openings go at the two new schools, Tocoi Creek High School and Pine Island Academy?
A: These two schools also had smooth openings. Due to some supply and contractor shortages, there are a few unfinished items at the schools, but nothing that is interfering with teaching, learning or safety. For instance, at Tocoi Creek, there is landscaping to be completed, some work on the auditorium needs to be finished before it can open, and some areas still need paint.

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Q: Can you give an update on the new administration at Freedom Crossing Academy, in light of the recent resignation of Principal Allen Anderson?
A: We created a different model than we used before. We have an interim principal, Gina Fonseca, and rather than just having assistant principals, we now have two vice principals: Donny Hoessler is responsible for the elementary school portion and Melissa Lime is responsible for the middle school portion. They each have at least one assistant principal reporting to them. This is a pilot program; if it works well, we might replicate it at some of our other large schools. Freedom Crossing Academy has nine grade levels and nearly 2,200 students — the largest of our K – 8 academies.

Q: What’s upcoming for the school board?
A: One big thing is that we are working collaboratively with the Board of County Commissioners on redistricting. We are finally in receipt of the census numbers and are presently setting up meetings with our consultant and with each other to start determining the new layout of the districts. Certainly District 1 and District 4 will have to be adjusted because they are so large. By law, districts need to be somewhat the same size. We are working with the Board of County Commissioners because we like the districts to be the same for both offices; it’s very helpful for the Supervisor of Elections and less confusing for voters. This will be a several month project that will culminate in a final vote in December. The process must be completed before the end of the year to have the new plan in place for the next election. There will be community meetings announced as we get closer to the end of the project.

Q: How can our readers contact you?

A: They can email me at beverly.slough@stjohns.k12.fl.us or call me at (904) 547-7510.

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