As the 2025–26 school year draws to a close along Florida's Treasure Coast, two school superintendents are counting their districts' accomplishments — and already planning for what comes next.
Indian River County School Superintendent Dr. David Moore says the district has plenty to celebrate before summer, from strong graduation numbers to reading gains. But he's not slowing down.
Dr. Moore pointed to several metrics he says set Indian River County apart: a 96% graduation rate, significant growth in third-grade reading proficiency, and a top ranking from NIFA as the number one place for teachers to work in Florida. He frames the district's record as an open invitation to skeptics.
"Don't listen to me," Moore said when asked what he would tell a family considering the district. "Just go and evaluate who's the most improved school district in the state of Florida — Indian River County."
He emphasized that summer won't mean idle time for his staff. Teacher training is already being scheduled to ensure the district can "hit the ground running" when students return in the fall.
Across the county line, St. Lucie County Superintendent Dr. Jon Prince is equally bullish on his district's trajectory. Last year, St. Lucie public schools earned its first-ever A rating from the state — a milestone three decades in the making.
Dr. Prince says he's confident the district will earn a second consecutive A rating when results are released this summer. But he's already looking beyond the grade.
A central focus for 2026–27 is what Dr. Prince calls the "reimagination" of Fort Pierce's schools — the district's oldest community. Ground will be broken in July on a new K–8 school adjacent to Dan McCarty Middle School, which will eventually consolidate Dan McCarty, Lawnwood, and St. Lucie Elementary into a single campus. The district also opened the brand-new Fort Pierce Westwood High School in January 2026.
"We believe that opportunity should not be defined by zip code," Prince said. "A lot of our new growth and new builds have gone in the Tradition area, and we need to reinvest in the future of some of our original areas."
The district also plans to launch community schools at three high schools, offering adults the chance to return and earn technical skills — a response, Dr. Prince said, to the influx of large employers into the region.
On accelerated academics, Prince noted that in the four years since he took over, St. Lucie has been named the Cambridge National District of the Year twice, and has tripled the number of elementary students taking accelerated coursework — a pipeline Dr. Prince says opens the door to high school classes in middle school, and college credit in high school.
"It's not just opportunities," he said. "It's students that are passing those exams — and those exams are recognized internationally."