Summer break is here, but before jumping into what’s next, I want to draw attention to a couple of May’s highlights: Teacher Appreciation Week, high school graduation ceremonies, and incredible student achievements.
The week of the 5th was Teacher Appreciation Week, and it is, without a doubt, one of my favorite weeks of the school year. Volusia County Schools is blessed to have such dedicated teachers, and with the help of our generous Partners in Education, we were able to surprise educators across the district with everything from Kona Ice truck visits to gift certificates to swag bags from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
Of course, May also includes high school graduation ceremonies. There’s nothing like seeing a student cross the stage with a smile on their face, ready to accept their hard-earned diploma. This year, over 4,300 students graduated. Those students put in nearly 300,000 hours of community service, received more than $31 million in scholarship funds, earned over 150 associate’s degrees, and over 100 are joining the military. Behind those impressive numbers are amazing students who worked extremely hard to get to graduation, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.
In the coming fall, we’re looking forward to welcoming students to the new and improved Orange City Elementary and Edith I. Starke Elementary. The latter will also have a new STEM + Arts Magnet Program for students in kindergarten through 2nd grade. Being able to introduce some of our youngest students to these fields helps engage them while they are young in interesting subjects that they will be able to further explore in middle and high school. Our second STEM Bus, which we unveiled this spring, is also helping to engage 6th graders in those areas.
On a more serious note, we took important steps this year to expand our multi-layered approach to the safety and security of our schools. We are implementing ZeroEyes AI Gun Detection software, which operates through our existing digital security cameras. It detects possible weapons possession and sends real-time alerts—with image and location—to staff and law enforcement within a few seconds. We also launched a pilot of an artificial intelligence weapons detection system this spring at Atlantic High School and Pine Ridge High School. The system, which screens people and belongings for weapons, will be implemented in all VCS high schools in the 2025-26 school year. The safety and security of our students and employees is paramount, and I am proud that VCS is a leader in this area.
Dr. Carmen J. Balgobin
Superintendent of Schools
