An Unprecedented Trajectory for K-12 Education in Florida
Dr. David K. Moore, Superintendent, School District of Indian River County, Named 2025 Florida Superintendent of the Year
Indian River County, Florida– 12.4.2024– Superintendent Dr. David K. Moore of the School District of Indian River County (SDIRC), has been honored with the prestigious 2025 Florida Superintendent of the Year award. This esteemed recognition acknowledges the leadership and uncompromised conviction of Dr. Moore in making Indian River County public schools the best choice for education in Florida.
The successful track record of Dr. Moore has resulted in unprecedented year-after-year District gains in student performance, making SDIRC the most improved district among the 67 Florida school districts for the past three years. Despite facing a global pandemic within just over a month of initiating his tenure, Dr. Moore not only overcame significant disruptions in student learning, but he delivered the strongest student performance results that the county has seen in the past two
decades. A host of metrics have catapulted SDIRC from being ranked in the middle of all Florida districts to making the Top Ten list this year.
Visitors from around the state and country are commonplace at SDIRC as they work to mirror a culture of continuous improvement and high expectations. The percentage of grade “A” and “B” schools has doubled, from 47% to 95%, and for the first time in ten years, the Florida Department of Education has designated SDIRC as an Academically High-Performing School District.
“Indian River County is one of the greatest communities in Florida. This award reflects a shared vision and an unrelenting commitment to our students embraced by citizens across Indian River County. Together, we have transformed our schools into some of the best in the State. Our community understands that an excellent public school system is a prerequisite for a thriving community,” explained Dr. Moore as he was presented with the award naming him best of the best amongst Florida school districts.
Dr. David K. Moore was recognized as Florida Superintendent of the Year at the Joint Florida Association of District State Superintendents (FADSS)/Florida School Board Association (FSBA) Conference on December 4th in Tampa, Florida, where superintendents and school board members from across the State gathered to engage in professional learning.
In a time of unparalleled education options available to Florida families, Dr. Moore has used school choice as a lever to drive innovation and transparency, hosting annual county school choice fairs, and seeking School Board approval for new school designs and options. Under his leadership, the District continues to grow a robust portfolio of schools to meet the needs and interests of the students and families in the community. In 2025-2026 the District will be opening its first K-8 traditional public school, which will be grounded in the Classical Education model.
“Superintendent Dr. Moore has been a game changer for our public schools. Indian River is a proud community with strong values and generations of families who call this place home. For the first time in decades, we have a school system that mirrors the quality of all our other institutions and the quality of this community,” remarked Bill Penney, board chairman of the newly formed Indian River Education Fund, a foundation created to enable private sector intellectual and financial investment in our public schools.
Under the leadership of Dr. Moore, SDIRC built a nationally renowned data management system that allows the district to measure what matters most and to use data to accelerate decision-making. The District’s Department of Accountability and Research produces weekly dashboards that provide school leadership dynamic, real-time access to data to efficiently analyze and identify actionable strategies to personalize learning experiences for all students. A culture of data-driven decision-making is leveraged in an ongoing way to grow and support leadership, the system, schools, and students.
Ramon Echeverria, Principal of Fellsmere Elementary School, one of the 14 Title 1 District schools explains, “Dr. Moore holds himself to the highest standards and expects the same from our principals and teachers. He has cultivated a set of beliefs within leadership and our system that we can accomplish outcomes never before realized. He pairs these beliefs with strong support, and always asks, ‘What do you need from me?’”.
Dr. Moore has navigated the challenge of teacher attrition by building a comprehensive support system for teachers that includes professional learning, recognition, and one of the highest teacher salaries in the state. While the Nation struggles with teacher vacancies, the SDIRC boasts a 96% teacher retention rate and teacher salaries that have risen to seventh in the State during Dr. Moore’s tenure. An instructional coaching support system that offers teachers ongoing professional learning has enabled SDIRC to improve student performance across all grade levels while simultaneously dodging the teacher attrition stronghold experienced in other areas of the State and Nation.
“We never lose sight of the goals. And when we reach them, we pause briefly before we ask ourselves, what’s next?” SDIRC School Board Chairman Terri Barenberg noted when explaining why SDIRC is beating the odds. She adds, “Not only has Dr. Moore transformed our district, he has transformed the expectations we uphold for the public schools in our community.”
Dr. Moore is the first SDIRC superintendent to earn the Florida Superintendent of the Year distinction.
The School District of Indian River County serves over 17,000 students across 27 schools in Indian River County, Florida. Our unified mission is to “Transforming education to inspire and empower all students to maximize their full potential”.