In her “first life,” third-generation Floridian and Brevard native Amy Parsons worked at Kennedy Space Center.
Her second kicked off 23 years ago, when Parsons signed on to teach in Brevard Public Schools.
Now, she’s back for a third year at Manatee Elementary in Viera as BPS’ 2025-’26 school year starts on Monday, Aug. 10, with a projected enrollment of 71,219 students at 100 schools.
Manatee is, Parsons said, a “fabulous school,” one where she teaches sixth grade and follows a long-held passion for changing young lives.
“I love teaching because I like to get to the heart of the child,” she said.
“That has always been my mission. So, my hope is that we become a very loving class family, and that they learn to communicate and take those skills into the real world. I had a teacher in elementary school, Miss Lake, who put that in my heart — and that’s why I love what I do.”
The countdown to First Day Back is now over.
“We start this year with the same expectation we hold every year: that every student who walks into a Brevard classroom gets a high-quality education,” said BPS Superintendent Mark Rendell.
“Our staff is prepared, our schools are ready, and we’re looking forward to a strong year.”
Here’s a look at some of what’s new this year and what teachers and administrators hope to build on in months to come.
Weapons detection in middle schools; new school on way
The district begins using the OpenGate weapons detection systems at its middle schools this fall. The rollout begins in October at Central Middle School and James Madison Middle School and will expand to all 11 BPS middle schools.
The district began adding the OpenGate system to Brevard high schools in fall 2024 to increase security measures, following the expansion of the guardian program that allows certain staff members to volunteer to carry guns on school grounds. The district added the advanced detection system for all school board meetings in November 2024.
Facility and instruction-wise, BPS is building Riverstone K-12 Day School for students with disabilities whose Individualized Education Programs require a highly structured therapeutic learning environment. Riverstone, on the campus of Kennedy Middle School in Rockledge, is expected to open in January 2027.
Riverstone will “pair individualized instruction with integrated therapeutic, behavioral and mental health supports, and will include sensory regulation spaces and outdoor areas designed for structured learning and emotional regulation,” the district said in a statement.
“Construction is being completed without incurring additional debt.”
New homes for former Cape View students
On May 22, 2026, after 62 years in Cape Canaveral, school let out for the final time at Cape View Elementary School.
The much-debated closure came after months of pleas on social media and at school board and city council meetings. Requests to keep the city’s only school open came from residents and city officials alike, but district officials, citing low enrollment, made the decision in January to close Cape View for good.
The vast majority of former Cape View students will attend Roosevelt Elementary in Cocoa Beach this year, district officials said.
“To ease the transition, the district hosted field trips last year so students could visit Roosevelt ahead of time, along with an open house for parents. A new car loop has also been added to help manage traffic along Minutemen Causeway,” said Janet Murnaghan, district chief strategic communications officer, in a statement.
3 school board seats to be decided
Three seats on the Brevard Public Schools board will be on the ballot in the Aug. 18 primary.
In District 1, which represents Titusville, Mims, Port St. John and Cocoa, incumbent Megan Wright faces challenger Tara “Coach T” Gibson.
In District 2, incumbent Gene Trent seeks a second term, facing off with Kyle Savage and Kelly Wentworth. The district covers parts of Cocoa, Rockledge, Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.
Tammy Dennis, Michele McCormack and Cecilia Trotter will vie for the District 5 seat, currently held by Katye Campbell. The district covers the southwest part of Brevard and includes Palm Bay, West Melbourne and Melbourne.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in Districts 2 or 5 on Aug. 18, the top two finishers advance to the Nov. 3 general election. The race in District 1, with two candidates, will be decided in the primary.
Outgoing District 5 board member Campbell, who has held the District 5 seat since 2018, cannot run again due to a redistricting measure the board approved in 2023.
“This is our family’s 18th and final year in BPS as our youngest will be graduating in May,” she said.
“Things continue to improve year after year, and I’m so looking forward to what our students will achieve this year!”
Cursive’s in the curriculum
Learning cursive is now required for all Florida students in grades 3-5 for the first time since 2010.
BPS already follows state standards for teaching cursive writing — letter formation in third grade; proper spacing and alignment in fourth; and practice writing complete words and sentences in cursive in fifth grade.
Florida’s ELA (English Language Arts) benchmarks were amended in the 2026 legislative session, part of education bill SB 182. As a result, students must demonstrate proficiency in cursive writing by the end of fifth grade.
Artificial intelligence policy adopted
Earlier in August, school board members voted unanimously to approve a district artificial intelligence policy.
Key parts of the policy address the approval needed for every AI tool used in school, AI’s research-based use; fact-checking by both students and teachers; the security of personal information; and more.
“Our district recognizes the importance of protecting data privacy, maintaining cybersecurity, ensuring ethical use, and promoting transparency and accountability in how AI tools are implemented and used,” the district’s webpage states.
Prohibited uses include bullying and harassment; plagiarism, cheating and misrepresentation; and overuse.
For details on the policy: brevardschools.org/page/ai-guidelines.
Sports seasons kick off soon
Brevard County was home to two state champions in 2025-26, in Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy boys soccer and boys track and field. The county also had multiple state runners-up, in Astronaut High boys bowling, Merritt Island High volleyball and beach volleyball, Bayside High girls basketball and Holy Trinity girls basketball.
Individual state champions included Astronaut’s James McGill in boys bowling; Holy Trinity’s Evan Spreitzer in boys cross country and track and field; West Shore Jr/Sr High’s Selah Vignier in girls cross country; Satellite High’s Sawyer Davis in boys swimming; Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High’s Gustavo Ferreira, Merritt Island’s Timothy Boda and Tre Driggett and Rockledge High’s Vlad Drown in boys wrestling; Edgewood Jr/Sr High’s Jonas Dowdell and Rockledge’s Christopher Gordon in boys track and field; and Cocoa High’s I’Yana Barnes, Diamond Bryant, Jayla Edgecombe and La’Nija Thomas and Satellite’s Keira Merrick and Celina Coryell in girls track and field.
Football season kicks off Aug. 13 with bowling, cross country, golf, swimming and diving and volleyball beginning Aug. 17. Winter sports include basketball, soccer and wrestling. Spring sports feature baseball, beach volleyball, flag football, lacrosse, softball, tennis and track and field.
Supply Zone for Teachers stays busy
In the days and weeks ahead of that first bell, students and parents scoured stores and school supply giveaways for everything from backpacks to markers, while teachers were busy across the district prepping their classrooms.
More than 57% of Brevard Public Schools students participate in the free or reduced lunch program. And despite local efforts to outfit kids before school starts, the need for supplies and hygiene items continues throughout the year, said Joan Perry, development and marketing coordinator for the Brevard Schools Foundation.
The foundation’s Supply Zone for Teachers in Cocoa hosts an annual Blast-Off to assist in getting needed supplies, prepping Brevard students with needed items. This year’s Blast-Off, on July 28, served 2,000 students.
But while that helps, Perry said, “supply drives ensure the Supply Zone for Teachers can continue supporting teachers and students long after the event has ended. In addition to students served at the annual giveaway, the Supply Zone provides help for thousands more students through schools and teacher requests throughout the year.”
The start of a new school year “is truly a community effort,” said Murnaghan.
“We are grateful for partners like the Brevard Schools Foundation and the volunteers who make programs like Supply Zone possible,” she said. “Their work helps ensure students and teachers have access to the supplies and resources they need to begin the year ready to learn, and it reflects the incredible support our community continues to show for public education.”
District hopes to build on grade progress
Brevard Public Schools earned its third consecutive districtwide “A” rating from the state. Seventeen schools improved their letter grades, and 79% of BPS schools earned either an A or a B in 2025-26.
Other stats:
Four elementary schools moved from a C to an A in a single year: Croton, Port Malabar, Roy Allen and Mims.
“A third consecutive ‘A’ tells our community that the trust they place in this district is being honored,” said Superintendent Mark Rendell. “I am proud of our teachers, our principals, our support staff and our students, who put in the work every single day, and of the families standing behind them.”
Sam Ficarro contributed to this report. Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news/Style editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard Public Schools starts year with new safety tech, AI policy
Reporting by Britt Kennerly, Florida Today / Florida Today
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By Britt Kennerly, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
