The School Board has selected four finalists to be the next Superintendent for Brevard Public Schools. During a Tuesday morning meeting, the board narrowed the list of 11 semifinalists by selecting the following for in-person interviews.

• Scott Schneider, Chief of Schools at Duval County Public Schools
• Dr. Mark Rendell, BPS Principal at Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School
• John Stratton, Superintendent of Hernando County School District
• Dr. Jason Wysong, Deputy Superintendent at Seminole County Public Schools

What’s Next: The finalists will be in Brevard County next week for interviews with the School Board and a Community Meeting. The School Board interviews will be held on April 27 beginning at 8:30 a.m. and broadcast on the district’s YouTube and cable channels. The Community Meeting will be held in the Board Room on April 27 at 6:00 p.m. The School Board interviews and the Community Meeting are open to the public. Private interviews with individual board members will take place on April 28.

Superintendent Applicant information can be viewed here and includes the candidate's resume along with written and video responses to board questions.

The School Board is scheduled to make a final decision on the next Superintendent during a May 9 meeting.

BPS Principal Catherine McNutt has been appointed as the first principal at the new central area middle school currently being built. Mrs. McNutt is the current principal at Hoover Middle School and has been with BPS since 2007.

“I am humbled and honored to serve my community as the principal of the new middle school,” McNutt said. “I know the anticipation and excitement surrounding this school, and I look forward to working with the community to create an incredible learning environment for students.”

Mrs. McNutt has served Brevard Public Schools as a teacher at Viera High School, a guidance services professional and dean at Melbourne High School, assistant principal of curriculum at Hoover Middle School, and, most recently, as principal of Hoover.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Florida and a Master of Arts in English from Wake Forest University and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education.

“We are excited for the great things that Mrs. McNutt is going to do for our community,” said Acting Superintendent Sue Hann. “Her work at Hoover Middle School has been exemplary and she has great community connections, which will be important as we open this new school. Mrs. McNutt will be a great leader for the school and our school families.”

McNutt and her family live in Viera. She enjoys spending time with her husband Carl, daughter Ainsley, and son Hudson. She also loves cheering on the Gators.

McNutt will officially begin her new role on July 1, 2023.

On April 8, over 200 teams from across the state competed in the Florida Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament in Orlando, including 35 teams from Space Coast Odyssey of the Mind.

Of the 35 teams, five BPS schools placed in first, second, or third for their problem and division. This earned them an invitation to the World Finals at Michigan State University from May 24 - 27.

The teams are from West Shore Jr./Sr. High, Manatee Elementary, Cape View Elementary, Riviera Elementary, and Edgewood Jr./Sr. High. 

Four of the five teams will be heading to Michigan State, and each team must raise over $10,000 in just a few weeks. Team members, coaches, and parents stay on campus at a cost of about $700 each. This includes housing, all meals, and registration fees. This does not include transportation and prop shipment to Lansing, Michigan or any incidentals.

Teams are working hard to raise funds and are seeking donations. Each team has a payment link that can be used for credit card donations. They can also accept checks made out to their individual school or to FLOMA (Florida Odyssey of the Mind) earmarked for a specific team.

In addition to raising funds, teams are working hard to perfect their skits, make modifications to props, and practice spontaneous problem solving in preparation for World Finals.

Click the links to donate to a school:

• Manatee Elementary: https://tinyurl.com/yc783yxj
• Cape View Elementary: https://tinyurl.com/3xk76w9k
• Riviera Elementary: https://tinyurl.com/24k7hz4u
• Edgewood Jr./Sr. High: https://tinyurl.com/2p9xbxd9

Golfview Elementary Magnet School won first place for the second year in a row as part of the Learnin’ The Ropes “School Jump Off” competition. Golfview competed against other schools across the country and had to create a routine showcasing different jump rope skills.

On April 15, the students performed their routines at the Running Zone "Spring into Fitness" Awards Ceremony in front of a live audience.

Click the link to watch the Golfview students perform their routines during the competition: https://youtu.be/WbW-6AwN_bw

On April 12, Bayside High School’s BETA Junior Applied Engineering II students attended the Junior Achievement Space Coast Innovation Challenge. The teams presented their inventions in front of a live audience and a panel of judges, consisting of local business leaders, patent attorneys, and venture capitalists.

Click here to watch the replay of the competition: https://www.youtube.com/live/xG1B6q-6JJ4?feature=share&t=520

Each team was awarded scholarships for their efforts. The first and second place teams received pro-bono consultations with a local patent attorney and a nationally recognized marketing company.

Congratulations to the following students:

• 1st Place Team: Torrin Gordon, Mason Fitzgerald, and Jayson Josephs for their product "TiltGuard," a product placed on classroom chairs to prevent children (or adults) from tipping back and falling over.
• 2nd Place Team: Zachary Traylor, Connor Fitzgerald, and Caleb Maruzzella for their product "Tack-A-Tool," a device used to help press push-pins and thumbtacks into drywall, bulletin boards, etc.
• Special Recognition Team: Anjeli Torres, Donillia Manners, Chartline Serdiney, and Jasmine Sawyer for their product "Spiritus," a device placed in shops and restaurants near the beach to blow sand and water off of customers before they enter the store.

Amy Bennett is the Heart of Brevard

The Heart of Brevard is a person who puts their heart and soul into teaching, inspiring, and supporting our children in whatever role they play in BPS.

If you know of a BPS staff member or community partner who is the “Heart of Brevard,” nominate them HERE!

Congratulations to Kayden Walter of Fairglen Elementary School for winning the Success Award by Eckerd Connects! He was recognized at a ceremony held at the Kennedy Space Center. This award, which celebrates student successes and aims to connect them with their futures, was awarded in the form of an annual pass for Kayden and his family to KSC.