Anna Newhoff
NCR Reporter
As Nassau County parents and students prepare to head back to school Monday, the district has launched new tools and programs while celebrating a major academic milestone.
Nassau County was ranked the No. 1 school district in the state by the Florida Department of Education, marking the 2024-25 school year as historic since this was the first time Nassau County achieved this ranking.
“These results demonstrate the strength of our instructional programs, the dedication of our educators, and the shared commitment to excellence across our community,” Superintendent Kathy Burns said.
She also stated that during the 2024-25 school year, the district’s graduation rate increased to 92%, along with a decrease in absenteeism.
“We will continue to set goals to increase academic achievement district-wide,” Burns said.
A new tool created recently is the Nassau County School District mobile app. It gives users the ability to access documents, news updates, and notifications from their cell phones.
The app also gives parents the ability to find NCSD staff information and contact them. It features all NCSD events, such as upcoming Nassau County School Board meetings. Dining funds can also be added to students’ account through the app.
According to Burns, “Each school has its own page within the app, which mirrors the content posted on the school and district websites. While it is not a two-way communication tool like Remind, it allows users to stay informed about announcements, upcoming events, staff directories, and important documents, all accessible from their mobile devices.”
Along with the mobile app release, the school district updated its website to reflect a similar design and layout. While the app offers a variety of useful tools, some key resources like FortifyFL, ClassLink, and FOCUS remain accessible only through the district website at www.nassau.k12.fl.us.
The school district encourages families to stay engaged by following their child’s school through the app, official websites, and social media for timely updates, events, and reminders.
Over the summer, the district purchased 2,500 new Lenovo student laptops for incoming sixth graders and ninth graders.
According to Burns, pending final budget confirmation, the district plans to refresh Pre-K through fifth-grade teacher devices, refresh Pre-K through second-grade student devices, and begin phased replacement of aging Promethean boards with Newline interactive panels at two to three school sites.
Many repairs and improvements to schools were also made over the summer. The Yulee Middle School cafeteria was expanded, renovations were made to the Yulee Primary School cafeteria, fields were upgraded, including West Nassau High School’s Warrior Field. Car stacking lanes were added at Yulee Elementary School and Wildlight Elementary.
For teachers, “thanks to the millage, our beginning teacher salary is now the highest of any surrounding counties,” Burns said. “This has helped us to recruit and retain teachers. As of (Monday), we have only three instructional vacancies.”
For middle and high school students, the district has added new opportunities to further their future.
“We have added Career and Technical Education feeder courses in our middle schools. This is the first full year of our National Naval Defense Cadet Core program at Yulee High School. We have the first cohort of early college students who will be full-time at FSCJ this year and will graduate in 2027 with both their high school diploma and AA degree,” Burns said. “Aviation mechanics is now newly available at the Bean Center, and Aquaponics will be fully operational at Hilliard Middle-Senior High School. Also, cybersecurity is fully implemented.”
According to Burns, there have not been any significant changes to bus routes. The NCSD will continue using the “Here Comes the Bus” app, allowing parents to track their children’s buses. Users can download the app or visit the website herecomesthebus.com. The school code for access to Nassau County buses is 76491.
For more information about bus transportation, visit https://www.nassau.k12.fl.us/o/ncsd/page/here-comes-the-bus.
Regarding funding and state legislation, the NCSD had to make some changes.
“Nassau County, like districts across the state, has had to make budget adjustments due to the unexpected hold on federal funds, increased Family Empowerment Scholarships, and increased costs district-wide,” Burns said.
As the school year begins, the NCSD focuses on continuous improvement, academic success, and strengthening communication with families.
“We look forward to an epic year ahead as we focus on the success of students and the continuous improvement of our schools,” Burns said.
For more information about the NCSD, visit www.nassau.k12.fl.us or download the new mobile app.
reporter@nassau
countyrecord.com