CEO Message

From the teachers, administrators, school nurses, paraprofessionals, media specialists, custodians, bus drivers, school psychologists, and superintendents, to safety officers, cafeteria workers, and more – every school district employee plays a role in cultivating the best possible educational environment for Florida students. It truly does take a village, and I thank each and every one of you for your dedication and service! 

The start of the new school year also signals that FADSS Fall Leadership Conference is just around the corner, set for Sept. 24 – 26, 2025 in Orlando. FADSS Director of Training Katrina Figgett shares some of the highlights of the conference in her article below.

As always, if I or any member of the FADSS team can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Best wishes for a successful 2025-26 school year, and I look forward to seeing everyone at the FADSS upcoming Leadership Conference in September!

Yours in education,

Bill Montford

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters

compared to what lies within us.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

FADSS CEO Senator Bill Montford was recently recognized by the School Board of Miami Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) for a lifetime of service, leadership, and dedication to public education, and as an example of commitment to public service.

The proclamation was presented to Montford by M-DCPS Chair Mari Teri Rojas at the Tuesday, August 12 board meeting.

M-DCPS Superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres thanked Montford for “the incredible work you are doing with superintendents and your ability to keep us steady, grounded and working together as a team. It is remarkable to see your trajectory and to have you as a guide and a mentor.”

Several other school members praised Montford for his years of service, calling him a true servant leader. 

In classic Montford style, he humbly thanked everyone for the recognition, and then turned the spotlight on M-DCPS, lauding their successes. So much so, that Vice Chair Monica Colucci during personal remarks, stated, “On a day that was about you, you turned it into a day of celebrating the success of Miami Dade schools. That is truly the actions of a servant leader.”

Florida Superintendent & District Recognitions

“I’m deeply humbled to be a finalist for the 2025 NASS Superintendent of the Year. This honor belongs to our entire Volusia County Schools team, every superintendent across the country who champions public education, and organizations like NASS, FADSS and the Florida Dept. of Education that provide crucial support and advocacy for superintendents," Dr. Balgobin stated.

NASS has also named Balgobin a finalist for two other awards: Excellence in Technology and AI and Excellence in Safety & Security.

Best of luck to Dr. Balgobin. We are rooting for you!

Read the full press release HERE.

On a related NSPRA note, Orange County Public Schools Communications Team behind the “Mondays with Maria” was awarded their second Bronze Telly Award. This time for the episode highlighting the Global Family Welcome Center.

Additionally, the OCPS public relations team won multiple NSPRA awards as well. Congratulations to all!

FADSS loves to highlight the successes, accolades, awards, and innovative practices throughout Florida's 67 school districts.

If your district has news to share, please email the information to Diana Oropallo.

We are now less than 6 weeks out from FADSS 2025 Fall Leadership Conference and only two weeks from the last day for registration which is September 1^st. Thank you to all who have registered already and just as a reminder this conference is open to both superintendents and a member of their leadership team.

As the theme of this Conference is Advocating for All Public School Stakeholders, there will be a focus on advocacy, marketing and communications throughout the 3 days, thus we are asking that the district PIO, (or whoever is tasked with communication outreach in the district, regardless of their title) is the person selected to attend as the second district attendee.

We will hold breakout sessions specifically designed for the communications group as we embark on a collaborative, statewide communications initiative to increase public awareness about the value and positive impact of public education. The impetus for the statewide communications initiative is a direct result of discussions during the July FADSS board retreat.

The campaign aspires to establish a cohesive statewide communications strategy to elevate, amplify, and celebrate Florida public schools, while simultaneously boosting public awareness by highlighting their successes, innovations, and achievements, as well as the plethora of choice options that prepare students for college, career, and citizenry. While many of you have already registered a member of your communications team, we want to provide this context as there is still time to augment your registration.

As always we will have a legislative update, district innovations presentations, and roundtable discussions, along with an update from the Florida Dept. of Education. A draft agenda will be shared in August. If you have any inquiries regarding conference programming, please reach out to Katrina Figgett at kfiggett@fadss.org. For assistance with the registration portal, please contact Renae at rwallace@fadss.org.

FADSS Post Legislative Session Outreach Keeps Districts Informed

Every year, after the Legislature completes its annual work, FADSS gets to work sharing the important details. This year, the legislative session extended an extra six weeks, which created some uncertainty early in the summer. Despite the delays, FADSS General Counsel Brian Moore, Esq, shared his annual legislative summary with all superintendents in early June (minus the delayed budget bills) and then spent time throughout the summer at various conferences and individual districts.  

In the second week of June, Moore spoke to the Florida School Finance Officers Association in Orlando on Wednesday, traveled to the FSBA/FADSS Joint Conference in Tampa on Thursday, and then engaged in a lengthy presentation and discussion with the Florida School Board Attorneys Association in Tallahassee that Friday. 

After the Legislature eventually adopted a budget and the Governor finished approving or vetoing various bills and appropriations, Moore visited several districts to update their administrative teams about the new legislation and current issues with both the State and federal budgets. He spoke with school and district leaders in Highlands, Hardee, Glades, Okeechobee, DeSoto, and Marion Counties in one week. He will also be traveling to present to the Florida Association of Educational Data Systems in Orlando next month, followed by a visit to Hernando County. Finally, he is scheduled to provide a legislative update to the East Coast Technical Assistance Center at their conference in October.

The importance of these legislative updates allows FADSS to broadly share crucial information with multiple district and school leaders, and to also provide those leaders with an opportunity to ask questions in order to gain a better understanding of the new legislative requirements and any potential problem areas that may arise during implementation. These discussions also touch on many of the new rules being adopted by the State Board of Education to implement or expand upon these new laws.

Every year there are numerous new laws imposed on school districts, and FADSS is committed to helping each Superintendent navigate through them with his or her team.

A legislative update will also be on the agenda for FADSS 2025 Fall Conference. In the meantime, if you have any legislative-related questions, you can reach Moore at bmoore@fadss.org.

Agency for Health Care Administration School-Based Services Regional Meetings

The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is conducting several regional meetings for school districts in Florida to discuss upcoming changes to the Medicaid school-based services program. FADSS has been assisting AHCA with outreach about the upcoming regional meetings.

 During these meetings, AHCA will:

• Provide an overview of the Agency’s implementation strategy and timeline.
• Present the new SBS reimbursement methodology.
• Take questions and comments from attendees.

These meetings are being hosted by educational consortia and school districts at multiple locations throughout the state. Attached is a meeting schedule and agenda with additional details on the date, time, and location of each meeting. Separate meeting invitations will be sent with location details for each meeting venue.

Your feedback is a valuable part of this collaborative process. The Agency encourages school districts to send any questions or comments ahead of these meetings to SDAC@myflorida.com.

Here is a link to the Meeting Schedule and Agenda as provided by AHCA.

ICYMI

Florida Superintendent of the Year Award

As a reminder, the 2026 Florida Superintendent of the Year Online Application Process is now open. The application can be accessed using the following link: https://soy.aasa.org/. 

Please note that FADSS uses the same application as the AASA National Superintendent of the Year Program. This award recognizes the outstanding leadership of active, front-line superintendents who plan to continue in the profession. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET, October 6, 2025 (applications cannot be accepted after this date). 

The winner will be announced at this year’s FSBA/FADSS Joint Conference in Tampa on December 3. The winner’s application will also be entered in the AASA National Superintendent of the Year competition. If you have any questions about the Florida SOTY application, please reach out to Angie Freeland.

AASA Women in School Leadership Award

AASA’s Women in School Leadership Award supports women leaders in education by recognizing female educators of extraordinary vision and talent.

Two awards are available:

·        Superintendent Award: For women superintendents with 2+ years in the role

·        Central Office/Principal Award: For women central office or building-level leaders

Honorees will be celebrated at AASA’s National Conference on Education in February 2026 in Nashville, Tenn.

To nominate or apply please use the following link: https://womensleadership.aasa.org/

Nominations are due on September 4, 2025 and Applications are due on October 3, 2025.