‘Great start’: Flagler Schools welcomes students back

Superintendent LaShakia Moore visited every campus on the first day school, rolling up her sleeves, helping students with directions to class or just an encouraging word.

  • Palm Coast Observer
  • Schools
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Late in the evening on Monday, Aug. 12, Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore was asked to pick out a highlight from the first day of school.

That was not easy, she said. Moore’s day began around 5:15 a.m. to greet the first bus driver pulling out of transportation to pick up students.

She greeted students arriving on campus and helped direct the car line at Buddy Taylor Middle School. She assisted Flagler Palm Coast High School students trying to find their first period class. Before the day was over, Moore visited all nine district schools plus the county’s charter school — Imagine School at Town Center. She also encouraged students in the Rise Up program in individual conversations and visited with iFlagler Virtual School administrators.

“My greatest highlight,” she said, “was going to each school, seeing so many of the students eager and happy to return and seeing their families as well as our faculty and staff. It is an exciting day because we get to see our students coming back.”

Angela Coates, an information systems support specialist was helping students with their schedules at Matanzas High School and said they all appeared to be happy to be back.

“They come in with all smiles, even if they don’t have the schedule they wanted,” Coates said.

There were barely any glitches on Day 1 of the 2024-25 school year, Moore said. The last student of the day arrived back home around 6 p.m., she said.

“That was a little bit later for the first day, but not too bad,” she said. “It’s typical for delays on the first day with students learning what bus to ride and where their stop is. As students ride the bus, those delays will reduce each day.”

Moore did not just observe during her tour of schools with Assistant Superintendent Angela O’Brien and School Board Chair Will Furry and other district professionals at various stops. She assisted in the cafeteria, she walked students to their classes. She even got on the bus radio to help dispatchers. One bus driver posted a “big shoutout” to Moore on the Facebook group, “Flagler Schools Parents.”

“I've been driving for Flagler Schools for 3 years now and I don't remember a time when the Superintendent rolled their sleeves up and came to transportation to help facilitate dispatching and trouble shooting issues,” the driver said in her post.

Moore said at each of her stops she tries to provide a helping hand.

There is no sense in just sitting and watching. For us, it’s about helping the schools support the students.”
— LASHAKIA MOORE, Flagler Schools superintendent

“There is no sense in just sitting and watching,” she said. “For us, it’s about helping the schools support the students. It’s an opportunity to walk a student to class, to encourage students to make good choices as we did in Rise Up, making sure they stick to the plan. In the elementary schools we open a milk carton, tie a shoe, whatever it is they need.”

Moore said students and staff adjusted to new security measures in accordance to House Bill 1473. All of the school gates must be locked or manned and the same for all exterior and interior doors. Classroom doors must all remain locked.

Perhaps the most fun part of the day, Moore said, was freshman orientation at Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas high schools where the ninth graders learned what it means to be a Bulldog or a Pirate. Matanzas calls its assembly in the gym, “Freshman Frenzy.” 

“It’s structured but extremely fun,” Moore said. “The focus is on camaraderie. They play games, facilitate a tour of the school, making sure they know where their classes are and what the expectations are in high school. The band plays, there’s face painting. It’s almost like a mini pep rally just for the freshmen. The upper classmen serve as ambassadors, leading the group in sharing information.”

The focus this year for “Flagler Forward,” Moore said, is making sure students and their parents know what career and accelerated programs beyond the core programs are offered so they can take advantage of the options.”

“This year we’re going to have a huge career day for both high schools offsite,” she said. “We’ll have fall career days for middle school students at both middle schools.”

The first day, Moore said, was “a great start to the school year.”

 

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