At a Tuesday workshop and board meeting, School District Board members chose 11 semi-finalists from a field of 32 candidates. Florida School Board Association (FSBA) representatives in attendance said the number of people applying for the position was the most they have seen in their time helping Florida districts choose their superintendents.

Those eleven semi-finalists will now be asked to answer five questions - two written and three video answers - one question from each school board member. Finalists will be chosen, based on their answers, at the next school board meeting April 22nd at Coral Shores High School with a workshop beginning at 4 p.m. followed by a regular business meeting at 5 p.m. The public can view the semi-finalists’ names and applications for the position at www.keysschools.com/SuperSearch. Once they answer the five questions, those answers will also be available to the public on the website.  The public will be able to make comments on the website regarding the applicants presentations.

During the regular business meeting, Superintendent Theresa Axford and Charlene White, the Finance Executive Director, spoke to board members about proposed legislative changes at the state level which could result in a budget shortfall of up to $2.7 million for the district. Axford said the proposed changes to the state’s allocation of funds based on Full-Time Student enrollment (FTE) is a move by the state to allocate more funding for the school voucher program. Board member Dr. Sue Woltanski, who also sits on the board of the Greater Florida Consortium of School Board Members, spoke about proposed changes to incentive programs which pay schools for student achievement in advanced AP and DE classes. She also gave details about the various efforts around the state to contest the various proposed changes.

Operations and Planning Executive Director Pat Lefere reported to the board about the ongoing plans for construction of the concession stand, museum and training facilities at the new Rex Weech Baseball Field complex in Key West. He said the design development phase is complete and the project will now move into the construction design phase. The architect of the project, Bill Horn, addressed the board about the timeline for the construction. He said much of the initial construction should be done prior to the 2026 baseball season with the concession stand phase continuing to move forward during the period of time games are being played. He pointed out that most games are played in the evenings so work could continue during daytime hours without disrupting the season.

During the recognition part of the meeting, the board honored Keys to be the Change, a non-profit organization that develops programs, education,  awareness and opportunities that empower children,youth and adults to improve health, wellness and skills for success in life and school. The organization’s members received a Community Great Educational Moments (GEM) award for all they do for Keys students. Deputy Superintendent Amber Acevedo said the program touches the lives of over 500 students every year in the district.

Also recognized with GEM awards were community members Chip and Crystal Hendricks for their efforts to help a student at HOB school who lost family members in a fire; and students Taylor Tomlinson and Colin Palomino,  who both won state level awards for their entries in the State STEM Fair in Lakeland.

Donna Tedesco, the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Coordinator, addressed the board, telling them the Monroe County School District has become the first district on the East Coast of the United States to achieve year one recognition from NOAA  as an Ocean Guardian School District. To achieve this special recognition, students at three lower Keys schools - Poinciana School, Key West High School and Sugarloaf School - installed Rainwater Filtration Gardens at their schools; these gardens are designed to filter rainwater runoff using a natural filtration system and native plants.  In addition, the Cognia accrediting agency has awarded the district with a STEM Accreditation as well as their Academic Accreditation. Cognia is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that accredits primary and secondary schools throughout the United States and internationally