ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Johns County Schools held in-person interviews and a meet and greet on Tuesday, allowing the community the opportunity to meet them face to face.
RELATED: St. Johns County School Board announces 4 semifinalists in superintendent search
Scott Schneider currently serves as the Chief of Schools for Duval County Public Schools, a role he has held since 2021. Before that, he was the Region Superintendent of High and Alternative Schools and began his career in the district as a high school principal in 2011.
Schneider received support from three of the five board members during the finalist selection process, and in a video clip shared with board members, he emphasized his commitment to leadership and effective communication.
“My goal is to always grow leaders, but also to ensure every child is learning in a high-performing, well-led school,” Schneider said. “Fostering transparency, trust, and collaboration among all stakeholders is a must, and that is why we need to ensure we have an effective district-wide communication plan.”
He told News4JAX that he wants to focus on student safety, challenging students academically, and providing support for students to achieve those academic challenges. He also plans to focus on areas of the district that aren’t seeing as much growth in terms of enrollment.
“We’re actually seeing some areas where there might be facing some enrollment issues,” Schneider explained. “So we have to make sure that we continue to focus on and capitalize on customer service. We have to make sure that our people don’t want to go anywhere else, that everybody that comes to St Johns wants to choose St Johns County School District.”
Dr. Marianne Simon, the region superintendent for Duval County Schools, has been in her current role since 2019. She has over 26 years of experience in various positions within DCPS, including ESE reading specialist/teacher, assistant principal, and principal. She received three out of five votes from the board.
In her video interview, Simon expressed her dedication to leading with purpose and openness.
“From students and teachers to families and board members, feels connected to the work we’re doing together,” Simon said. “Because when communication is strong, trust is strong, and that’s how we move the district forward.”
She planned to focus on student achievement, teacher recruitment and retention, and funding for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate if she were selected for the role.
“My vision would be to really continue the academic excellence that is here, but just keep pushing it further, closing any achievement gaps we have within our subgroups of students, really improving, improving parent engagement, making sure that we are being responsive to the needs of our parents and really supporting our teachers,” Simon said.
Dr. Brennan Asplen is currently the Deputy Superintendent of Operations for St. Johns County Schools. He previously served as the superintendent of Sarasota County Schools from 2020 to 2023 and received four out of five votes from board members.
In his video clip, Asplen highlighted the importance of open communication.
“I welcome critical conversations, ideas, suggestions, and questions at each level mentioned,” Asplen said. “Effectively educating our students is a collaborative effort, and open communication is where it begins.”
Asplen told News4JAX that if he got the job, he planned to focus on growth, budget and technology.
“What we want to do is look forward to how we can go to the next level. You know, we’re doing really well. Where are the gaps? Where are the things that we need to look at, to really to work on, so that we can move it to the next level and be the best in the state, best in the nation,” Asplen said.
Dr. Kyle Dresback, the only candidate to receive support from all five board members, is currently the Regional Superintendent for Secondary and Alternative Schools for St. Johns County Schools. He has spent his entire 27-year career with the district.
In his video response, Dresback discussed his vision for making the district an attractive place to work and the importance of direct engagement with schools.
“By implementing these intentional communication strategies and actively involving each stakeholder group, we will foster a transparent, collaborative, informed, and engaged community committed to achieving educational excellence in St. Johns County School District,” Dresback said.
Dresback said his focus would be on improving student engagement, looking at innovation with technology, and creating a culture where students want to be on campus.
“We have to be innovative,” Dresback said. “If you look at the state, and I don’t mean it negatively, it’s just the reality of our situation, we’re not getting funded at a full level, and so we have to look at our resources and prioritize and say, Okay, what’s the best thing that we can be able to do for students.”
Following the interviews and meet and greet, the school board will select the next superintendent at a meeting on May 20 at 9 a.m.
Community members can share their feedback on the finalists for superintendent through a survey on the St. Johns County Schools website. The survey closes at noon on Monday May 19.