Indian River County, Florida – 12.16.2024 – Dr. David K. Moore, the 2025 Florida Superintendent of the Year, has been named one of four finalists for National Superintendent of the Year, the highest recognition a superintendent can earn in the United States. As the Superintendent of the School District of Indian River County (SDIRC), Dr. Moore’s track record of outpacing and outperforming other districts across Florida positioned him to earn the state’s highest honor just weeks ago. Dr. Moore’s ability to deliver unprecedented results, in Miami as an Assistant Superintendent charged with turning around the lowest performing schools, and at SDIRC where he doubled the number of grade “A” schools by the Florida Department of Education has now put him in the national spotlight.
With the Florida appointed superintendent tenure hovering around 3.2 years, Superintendent Moore’s five-year term at SDIRC is marked by unequivocal support from the School Board, teachers, principals, and community. Dr. Peggy Jones, lifetime educator and SDIRC School Board Vice Chair, states that, “as a lifelong advocate for public education, I am incredibly proud of Dr. Moore and our district. Under Dr. Moore’s leadership, our district has created a culture and a blueprint on how to cultivate the conditions for high-quality student learning experiences and world-class public schools."
Dr. Moore joined SDIRC just months before the COVID-19 pandemic and delivered year-over-year student achievement gains at a time when superintendents and researchers across America are bemoaning learning loss. SDIRC teacher retention and high school graduation rates poised at 96%, are likely some of the reasons Dr. Moore is a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year.
With a predisposition to innovation and an attitude that embraces competition in a time when Florida’s families have unprecedented school choice options, Dr. Moore garnered the respect of the private sector and launched the Indian River Education Fund (The Fund). Within six months, Dr. Moore won state recognition as the STAR Superintendent from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations.
CEO of Piper Aircraft, the county’s largest private employer, John Calcagno explains, “We seek to be great partners to Superintendent Moore who has earned our respect for driving results despite a resource-constrained environment. We want to provide intellectual and financial resources, and The Fund offers us a vehicle to be meaningfully engaged.”
Dr. Moore spearheaded innovative efforts in school choice, teacher retention, and data-driven decision-making. His commitment to excellence transformed SDIRC into a model district for continuous improvement and community engagement. Under Dr. Moore's leadership, SDIRC has become the most improved district in Florida for the last three years, with student performance rising to among the top ten statewide. These unprecedented accomplishments have ignited a renewed sense of confidence in the quality of education provided by public schools across the community. Dr. Moore is unwavering in his conviction that, “I strongly believe the transformation realized by our SDIRC educators can be achieved by public schools across our nation. The alignment of beliefs and actions that are wholly focused on the best interest of students establishes a strong foundation for educators, students, and public schools to flourish.”
Please click the link to access the Press Release from AASA, The School Superintendents Association:
Finalists Named for AASA’s 2025 National Superintendent of the Year® Award | AASA
