ORANGE PARK - Not ironically, it was a day of learning on Thursday, Feb.  26, as Superintendent David Broskie walked members of the community through what it means to be a successful student within the Clay County Schools District.

The fifth annual State of Schools Address hosted various topics of conversation, including the school district's 3,840 pounds of chicken nuggets served every Chicken Nugget Day and the 4.1 million miles driven by bus drivers annually.

Held at the Thrasher-Horne Center, various local leaders and elected officials filled the room to hear from Broskie about the progress that the school district has made so far this school year.

The morning's theme, he said, was togetherness.

"When I take a look around the room, I'm always reminded that education is an ultimate team endeavor," Broskie said. "So, thank you for being part of team Clay."

Despite the fiscal realities, including budget cuts and a $29.5 million jump in taxpayer-funded vouchers of home and private schooling, Broskie said that the school system is still moving forward. The A-rated district has 2,800 certified educators, is the No. 8 ranked best school district in Florida according to Niche and recently earned a 97% graduation rate for all seven of its traditional high schools.

Other fast facts include 10 schools recognized by the Florida Department of Education as "Schools of Excellence," 14 as Purple Star Schools of Distinction, 13, 580 registered volunteers and academic acceleration pathways available in every school.

Orange Park Elementary is ranked No. 3 in the state, while Paterson Elementary is ranked 15th. Also, for the 2024-2025 school year, the district was Top 10 in all subject areas. 

Broskie said the blueprint to student success is a gradual process, beginning with the "foundation" of pre-K through fifth grade. Early literacy, mathematics, science and social studies make up the spark that keeps students interested in learning.

"If you walked into a classroom, you'd see students engaged in hands-on learning to increase their understanding of concepts," he said.

The "framework" continues with sixth through eighth grade. At this point, students delve into academic pathways and begin taking high school-level courses.

It all culminates into capstone, or the "launchpad," in ninth through 12th grade. Here, students are citizen, college and career ready.

"Students only have three options when they graduate high school," he said. "You're going to enroll, enlist or employ. There' s no other option that happens out there. It funnels into those three things. So, we do a great job in the enrollment piece, going on to post-secondary education."

But not everyone goes to college. In fact, Broskie said a recent survey showed that more student's don't go than do.  Which is why the district is equipped with a range of programs to meet the needs of all students.  

The district has a total of 31 career and technical education programs. And, last school year, 3,291 students earned nationally recognized industry certifications. 

The district's CTE program, Broskie said, is filled with many local partnerships. Located in each school, they give students the resources and experiences to build a successful career from the ground up. The morning's meal was even prepared by Ridgeview High's CTE culinary students.

Travis Antienowicz was a guest speaker during the event. Graduating from Middleburg High in 2025, he now has a job working with Carlton Construction. He attested it all to his involvement within the CTE program.

"When you think about why you're here today, I encourage you to see it as an investment. Not just in me, but in all of our future builders, our future doctors, our future business owners and our future leaders. As someone who spent an entire K-12 education in Clay County, I want to say thank you."

Broskie ended the address by asking his "teammates" to get off the bench and help play the game, creating a One Clay lasting connection and legacy.

"Our school system is amazingly resilient, but it's only resilient if you've got support from our community."