SCHOOL BUS
Foundation for Rural Education Excellence
Supporting Academic Achievement in
Rural Northeast Florida Communities

July 2024 Newsletter

The Foundation for Rural Education Excellence, a registered 501 (C)(3) organization, was founded in 1998 to facilitate philanthropic support for rural school districts of the North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC): Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Nassau, Putnam, Suwannee, and Union Counties as well as Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and PK Yonge Developmental Research School. Working collaboratively, our mission is to enhance academic success and career opportunities for rural students in northeast Florida.
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2024 Summer Leadership Conference

It was a homerun of a week for member districts and others at the 2024 NEFEC Summer Leadership Conference. Thank you to the over 400 leaders and vendor partners for helping make this year's SLC the best one yet.


Superintendents, district leaders, school administrators, and lead teachers joined together to gear up for the upcoming school year. Stand Tall Steve and Nathan Whitaker inspired attendees with powerful keynotes on leaning into resilience through successes and setbacks. Breakout sessions covered FLDOE accountability and literacy updates, instructional priorities and classroom management, AI tools in the classroom, building resiliency in our districts, social media for schools, and more.

NEFEC is already looking forward to the 2025 Summer Leadership Conference July 21-23, 2025! #NEFECSLC #SwingfortheFences

Consortia Host McKinney-Vento Summit

The Tri-Consortia McKinney-Vento Summit, held on July 17th and 18th, organized and facilitated in partnership with NEFEC, HEC, PAEC, and the Department of Education, showcased a collaborative effort to support homeless children and youth.


The summit brought together district McKinney-Vento liaisons, district and school administrators, counselors, social workers, teachers, and support personnel to focus on data-driven goal-setting and action planning. Discussions centered on enhancing support systems and resources for vulnerable students across districts. Participants engaged in activities aimed at sharing best practices and fostering innovative strategies.


The summit highlighted a unified commitment to improving educational outcomes for students experiencing housing instability.

Mark Your Calendars

27th Annual Golf Scramble


FREE's annual golf scramble is scheduled for March 28, 2025, at The Palatka Golf Club.

Summer Leadership Conference


NEFEC's Annual Summer Leadership Conference is scheduled for July 21-23, 2025, at the Sawgrass Marriott in

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.



Foundation for Rural Education Excellence
(352) 317-0621
foundationruraled@gmail.com


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