Santa Rosa County District Schools

Professional learning never stops! 😊Administrators participated in Rigor Walk discussions as part of Instructional Empowerment, visiting classrooms to identify exemplar lessons and evidence of Pillar 1 on their campus.. These focused walks help highlight strong instructional practices, promote rigor, and support continuous growth across our schools.

Celebrating Santa Rosa success... one student at a time! 🎉🎉 With an all-time high graduation rate of 93.1% for the 2024–2025 school year, we are proud to continue loving, educating, and preparing students for a successful future. Thank you to our educators, students, and families for your commitment and support. 🎓 #SRCDS1stChoice

The February 2026 Edition of LEAPS & Bounds is now available at the link below!

Check out this edition for district updates, celebrations, and important parent resources/information! 💗

🔗https://bit.ly/LEAPSFebruary2026

Registration for our VPK Blended Academy locations will be coming soon! Stay tuned for more information.

Let's hear it for our amazing school counselors! 👏

February 2-6 is School Counselor Appreciation Week. Our counselors help serve students in a variety of ways, coordinate testing, support families, and so much more. Be sure to let your child's counselor know how much they are appreciated this week! 💗

The month of February is Career & Technical Education Month! Also known as CTE, our district embraces career and technical education through our Workforce Education Department, Career Academies, and so much more.

If you are interested in a free resource to help your child determine career pathways, check out Xello on Rapid Identity! There are many resources to help assist students as they plan for future careers.

Thank you to our Workforce Education Team for all they do to support CTE in Santa Rosa County!

ATTENTION ANTIQUES ROADSHOW FANS! Courtney Burgess’s 4th grade class at Wallace Lake K‑8 recently hosted their very own Antiques Roadshow—and the expertise was impressive! 🎉 Each student researched a famous Floridian and created or curated artifacts to help tell the story of their historical figure’s life and impact. Mrs. Burgess stepped into the role of expert appraiser, challenging students with thoughtful questions about their artifacts, their famous Floridian, and key moments in Florida history. Along the way, students explored big ideas like the economic impact of railroads, tourism, and even air conditioning (a true Florida game‑changer!). Through this engaging project, students sharpened their research and writing skills while taking a deep—and meaningful—dive into Florida’s past. Mrs. Burgess is truly a shining star in Santa Rosa County School District, and her students proved they are curious, clever, and most importantly, fully engaged in their own learning. ⭐📚

January sure has flown by! February is almost here. Be sure to check out our important dates and events for the month of February as we head into a new month. Check with your child's school for additional dates or events. 💘

As a reminder, the February School Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 3 at 5:30pm. The meeting is located at 5086 Canal Street. You can find agendas, minutes, and/or live streaming footage (during the meeting) at the link below.

🔗https://santarosacosdfl.portal.civicclerk.com/

SRCDS Weather Update 7:30pm Good Evening Santa Rosa Families, We understand the concern regarding the cold weather temperatures expected for tomorrow, Monday, January 26. We have been in close communication with the National Weather Service in Mobile and Santa Rosa Emergency Management and continue to closely monitor conditions. Based on the current forecast, roads are expected to be passable in the morning. Should conditions change, we will notify families immediately via call/text, email, our website, and social media. As always, if you have concerns and choose to keep your child home due to weather conditions, please send a note upon your child’s return. Thank you and have a wonderful evening!

SRCDS Weather Update: As of 6:30 p.m. this evening, school will remain in session tomorrow, Monday, January 26. We are closely monitoring the weather and will share updates if conditions change. Stay safe and bundle up! ❄️🧣

As Literacy Week kicks off this week, we want to celebrate one of our very own authors! Elaina Schmersey, 3rd grade teacher at Bennett Russell Elementary, has recently published her own children's book! She will be a featured author at BRE this week! Her book is titled "Who Says Unicorns Don't Exist?" and is available on Amazon.

Way to go, Ms. Schmersey! 📚

It's Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! Each year, this event is held during the last month of January. This year's theme is "Read White, and Blue" as we celebrate 250 chapters of America. ❤️🤍💙

We look forward to the many events, lessons, and activities to support reading and literacy on our school campuses this week. 📖

We are excited to announce that Celebrate Literacy Week is January 26-30! Please stay tuned for updates and events happening at many of our schools! 📚

As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, January 19 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We look forward to seeing our students when they return on Tuesday, January 20.

Report Cards are available today, January 16, in the FOCUS Parent Portal. You can access FOCUS through our Santa Rosa County District, FL app! Download this today and create a parent portal account to stay up-to-date regarding your child's attendance, assignments, grades, progress monitoring plan (as applicable), and more! 🏫

🎓 Graduation Success! 🎓

Our district graduation rate increased from 90.9% (2023–2024) to 93.1% (2024–2025) - exceeding the statewide average of 92.9%! 🎉

Congratulations to our students, our hardworking educators, and our families for their continued support. We are proud to love, educate, and prepare all students for GRADUATION and a successful future. #SRCDS1stChoice

GBHS Spanish students wrapped up their unit on Holiday traditions in Spanish-speaking countries by exploring the significance of Día de Reyes (Feast of the Epiphany). Through hands-on learning, students sampled traditional holiday foods, including Mexican Rosca de Reyes, King Cake, and traditional hot chocolate, while comparing and contrasting these cultural treats. The excitement was contagious, especially for the lucky students who discovered the hidden baby inside their slice of cake! 🍰 What a delicious and memorable activity to bring language and culture to life! 👏

Mark Your Calendar... Santa Rosa Career Pathways Expo 2026 is coming soon! Join us for an exciting evening where students can explore career options, connect with local partners, and begin shaping their future!

📅 February 5, 2026
⏰ 5–6:30 p.m.
📍 Dillon Administrative Center
🔗 santarosacareerpathways.com

High school ESOL students from Navarre and Gulf Breeze High Schools recently visited East Milton Elementary for a special Día de los Reyes celebration! 👑📚

Students read with elementary learners, led literacy games and crafts, shared a traditional Mexican cake, and offered encouragement and tips along the way. The experience supported language development, literacy growth, and cultural connection for all students involved.

Thank you to all of our amazing educators for making this meaningful collaboration possible! 💙