- September 10, 2024
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Are those shouts of joy coming from students? Teachers? Parents? Grandparents?
Well, one thing is for sure, there is a lot of joy at the brand new Tomoka Elementary School. Last year, the Tomoka students and staff were displaced to the former Osceola Elementary School site, which was originally built in 1955 and located about four miles from Tomoka Elementary School.
As a former Tomoka Elementary School principal for 13 years, I could not wait to see the beautiful new school. I was not disappointed. We were able to save the majestic oak trees, the totem pole in the office, and the mural about the legend of Chief Tomokie. I love the Tomoka State Park theme, the natural colors of green and blue, and dressing the mascot to look more like a Timucua Indian. Perfect!
Kudos to the city of Ormond Beach and City Manager Joyce Shanahan for paving Old Tomoka Road, which is the roadway which fronts the school. The city also trimmed the trees bordering the street. Now the neighborhood has a beautiful school, on a repaved street with nice looking trees. This is a classic example of the city and the school district communicating and working together to benefit children and the community.
I do not want to leave out the fantastic Ormond Beach law enforcement team. The school has a new traffic flow design, so Chief Godfrey assigned officers to assist during the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times. Again, outstanding cooperation between the school district and the city.
Volusia County Schools are trending way up and the public schools in and near Ormond Beach are leading the way. Check this out these school grades: Seabreeze High — A, Ormond Beach Middle – A, Ormond Beach Elementary – A, Pathways Elementary – A, Pine Trail Elementary – A, Tomoka Elementary – B, and David Hinson Middle School – B.
More good news! The Volusia County School District also improved its state ranking from 40th to 29th out of 67 school districts and our graduation rate of 91.6 is 3.6 percentage point higher than the state average of 88%.
We are trending up thanks to our nearly 7500 employees including the outstanding professional teachers, principals, assistant principals, and the fantastic support staff, who are working hard to make sure students are safe, fed, supported, and learning every day. I also want to thank the amazing PTA organizations at each school, Futures, Inc, the Chamber of Commerce, and the other community organizations, which are always assisting our public schools.
I want to give a shout out to Superintendent Balgobin and her leadership team for showing us how we can increase academic achievement for all students and prepare high school students, who are not interested in college, for high paying and rewarding career technical opportunities in the workforce.
As I visited schools last week during preplanning and on the first day, I wished I was a principal again. Being with teachers, welcoming parents, and engaging with students brought back many fond memories of my twenty years at Tomoka Elementary School and Ormond Beach Middle School.
To all parents, guardians, and grandparents, I say to you, “Congratulations! You survived the summer. Seriously, thank you for loving and caring for your children and grandchildren. They will always need your guidance and support.
Join me. You can be proud and share the success of Volusia County Public Schools.
Carl Persis represents District 4 on the Volusia County School Board. Persis, who is running for reelection, has served on the School Board since 2016. He is a former educator and served as a principal for Volusia County Schools for 27 years..
