Martin County School District Explained

Martin County School District, also referred to officially as the School Board of Martin County, is a public school district that covers Martin County, Florida.^[2]

The position of superintendent is appointed by the school board.^[3] Its former Superintendent, Laurie J. Gaylord, was first elected in 2012, with her second term ending in November 2020. Following a decision by voters in 2018, the next Superintendent was appointed rather than elected. The first appointed superintendent, John D. Millay, took office in 2020.^[4] The district is overseen by the Martin County School Board, a body of five elected officers.^[5]

History

In 2023 Michael Maine became the superintendent.^[6]

That year there were controversies over whether certain books could be displayed in schools.^[7]

School Board

The district School Board is elected on a non-partisan basis. Members of the board are:^{[8] [5]}

• • District 1: Christia Li Roberts
• District 2: Marsha Powers
• District 3: Victoria Defenthaler
• District 4: Anthony Anderson
• District 5: Michael DiTerlizzi

Schools

The district operates the following public schools:

High schools

• Jensen Beach High School
• Martin County High School
• South Fork High School

Middle schools

• Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School. Named for the first Black person to be elected to the county School Board & Florida's longest-serving school board member^[9]
• Hidden Oaks Middle School
• Indiantown Middle School
• Murray Middle School. Robert G. Murray, an African American, was a teacher from 1928 to 1937 and from 1945 to 1958 and was principal of Stuart Training School.^[10]
• Stuart Middle School

Elementary schools

• Bessey Creek Elementary School
• Citrus Grove Elementary School
• Crystal Lake Elementary School
• Felix A. Williams Elementary School
• Hobe Sound Elementary School
• Jensen Beach Elementary School
• J.D. Parker School of Science, Math and Technology
• Palm City Elementary School
• Pinewood Elementary School
• Port Salerno Elementary School
• SeaWind Elementary School
• Warfield Elementary School

Pre-K

• Bessey Creek Elementary School
• Citrus Grove Elementary School
• Felix A. Williams Elementary School
• Perkins Center
• Salerno Schoolhouse
• Salerno Learning Center
• Stuart Learning Center

Charter schools

• Clark Advanced Learning Center
• The Hope Charter Center for Autism

Other programs

The district operates the following other programs:

• Career and Technical Education
• Willoughby Learning Center
• Environmental Studies Center
• Martin Virtual School
• Spectrum
• Teenage Parent Center – Florida First Start Resource Center Indiantown
• Teenage Parent Center – Spectrum

Former segregated (negro) schools

• Booker Park Elementary School, Indiantown, closed 1970
• Dunbar Elementary School, Hobe Sound, closed 1969
• East Stuart Elementary School, Stuart, closed 1970 (turned into county-wide kindergarten magnet)
• Murray Junior/Senior High, Port Salerno (originally Carver Junior/Senior High, also called Carver Training School and Murray Training School), opened 1964 replacing Stuart Training School, closed 1967 (became county-wide 9th grade)^[11]
• Stuart Training School, Stuart, closed 1964
• A "one-room schoolhouse in Jensen Beach".^{[12] [13]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Superintendent . martinschools.org . April 25, 2023 . en.
2. Web site: Florida Report Cards: 2020-21 Martin School District Report Card . . 30 December 2021.
3. Web site: Martin County voters put an end to elected school superintendents; School Board now will appoint. TCPalm. en. 2020-02-26.
4. News: McRoberts . Meghan . Dr. John Millay: Martin County superintendent sworn into office, describes his first priority . 30 December 2021 . . 18 November 2020 . en.
5. Web site: Martin County, FL Supervisor of Elections. www.martinvotes.com. 2020-02-26.
6. Web site: Wixon. Colleen. Martin County picks Deputy Superintendent Michael Maine as district's new superintendent. TC Palm. 2023-03-21. 2023-04-30.
7. Web site: Lopez. Joel. 'Horrible' or 'shocking:' Parents chime in on Martin County book ban. WPTV. 2023-03-21. 2023-04-30.
8. Web site: School Board Members / District 1 . martinschools.org . en.
9. News: Ruiz . Lina . Dr. David L. Anderson, namesake of Martin County middle school and longtime board member, dies . 30 December 2021 . . 24 December 2021.
10. News: Schools named for area achievers . Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida) . February 27, 2008 . N016 .
11. News: Transition difficult in Martin schools . Rani . Gupta . Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida) . May 16, 2004 . 937 .
12. News: King day stirs memories of segregation (Part 1) . Christine . Van Meter . Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida) . January 19, 1987 . 6.
13. News: Martin County fought to resolve segregation after Civil Rights Act (part 2) . Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida) . Christine . Van Meter . January 19, 1987 . 13 (4B) .