Candidate: Stacey Shuford Creighton

I am Stacey Shuford Creighton, your Superintendent of Schools, and I am asking for the opportunity to continue to serve the great citizens of Bradford County for the next four years. I am thankful to work with an amazing team of dedicated administrators, teachers, staff, school board members, parents, students and volunteers that work tirelessly to provide our students with the greatest opportunity for success. Please allow me to share with you a little about my background, the progress we have made, and the challenges and opportunities going forward. 

For those who do not know me, I am a product of the Bradford County School system. I am the daughter of James and Betty Shuford of Lawtey. I am married to a very supportive husband of 25 years, Dave, and have four wonderful daughters (Sabrina, 15, Ashley, 17, Chelsea, 20, and Bailey, 23) who are all products of Bradford schools. I attended Lawtey Elementary School, Bradford Middle School and graduated from Bradford High School. I went to Santa Fe College on an academic scholarship and went on to receive a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Florida. In 2006, I was elected to the Bradford County School Board where I served until November 2016, when I was elected Superintendent of Schools. Once elected, I became a certified School Superintendent in 2017 from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. I am a member of First Baptist Church, the Woman’s Club of Starke, Florida Association of District School Superintendents, NEFEC Board of Directors, Bradford County Education Foundation and the Florida Bar. Before I detail the many accomplishments of the last three years, we first must reflect on a brief public record history of our school district before I took office as Superintendent. 

On the morning of May 29, 2015, the Bradford School Board was asked to pass a temporary emergency loan to ensure our payroll checks cleared to our employees. The status of our schools was well documented by the Telegraph over the next months with classrooms without books, filthy campuses, run-down facilities, and “heartbreaking” school grades. I knew with the right people in place, we could change the performance, culture, and expectations of the Bradford school district. It has been a hard but very rewarding journey. Please allow me to highlight just some of Bradford’s turnaround. 

With the opportunity you gave me with the 2016 election, it was time to get to work. Within the first year in office we were able to bring back hands-on learning in our science classes, bring back driving in Drivers Education, and immediately begin improving the cleanliness, safety, and security of our schools. We reinstated funding for the arts, all while giving our employees raises yearly and reducing the cost of their benefits. 

We reached out to the community with web site enhancements and a new phone number to get the citizens connected to the right office for their questions and concerns. We immediately surveyed our employees (and continue to do so annually) to find out how to best help them make the most impact working with our youth. We renovated our auditorium, built a state-of-the-art science lab, and began the renovations of some of our school cafeterias to make our campuses a source of pride for our students, staff, and community. 

Within a year, we began to see the first of our improvements in the scores and performance of our youth not only in the classroom, but in areas outside the school as well. Bradford High School went from a D in 2016 to a C in 2017, then to a B in 2018, and to a higher B in 2019. Last year our third grade reading scores beat the state average for the first time. In 2019, the Bradford County Schools was one point away from being a “B” District for the first time ever. Our District ranking is no longer falling but has risen five spots in three years. 

We have made great strides in bringing new opportunities to the youth of Bradford County. Just this fall we were recognized by the President of Santa Fe College for expanding opportunities for dual enrollment and he stated “dual enrollment has never been stronger” (Telegraph, Sept. 19, 2019). During that same presentation, Jerry Parrish, chief economist with the Florida Chamber Foundation and FSU professor, discussed economic development in Bradford and highlighted the improvements in our school district in every single category. He was quoted as saying “whatever you're doing...keep doing it.” I could not have said it better. 

Hard work begins at home. With the support of my family, we have worked countless volunteer hours over the years in support of our youth. We have been, and will continue to be, one of Bradford’s largest financial contributors to various youth organizations. It is a great honor to partner with them and see the success our programs are having. Almost weekly the band programs, FFA program, and our sports programs are being recognized at the highest levels. With the addition of our new football field, new tennis courts, a new baseball field, and a renovated weight room, our youth are getting the tools they need to compete with anyone. We are now hosting events that Bradford was never even considered for in the past: all-star games, regional band events, and concerts to name a few. I hope you will join me in thanking our staff, boosters, and donors for their hard work and investment in our many youth programs. 

The next four years for the Bradford school district will be critical as we still have much to do. We have plans in place to continue to improve the quality of education each student receives. We will continue to improve our facilities while setting a higher standard of safety and cleanliness. We will learn from our past mistakes while setting a higher level of accountability in all areas. The success we have been enjoying is available to every Bradford student. Many of our neighbors and friends are finding themselves in difficult situations. I have and will remain personally available for extended hours, if needed, to encourage and inform you of the opportunities and educational options available. 

Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to serve you the last three years as your Superintendent. With your support, I am committed to continue the pursuit of excellence for the families of Bradford County. As a certified Superintendent of the State of Florida, I know this job and how demanding it is and will fight to make sure we never go back to the days of settling for less than we deserve. I know I have the greatest job in Bradford County- providing our youth with a safe, rewarding and quality educational experience. I take that responsibility very seriously and will make every effort I can to help each of our students reach their potential. Thank you for your continued support and consideration this election. 

God Bless and Go Tornadoes!

Stacey Shuford Creighton