INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Schools Superintendent David Moore wants to continue helping school districts improved, even as he leaves the district he built from 38th in the state in 2019 to fifth in 2026.
Moore, 55, announced Aug. 19 he would be resigning from the district, effective June 30. He’s officially retiring after 32 years in Florida education, but he has no plans to stop working.
His ideal situation, he said, would be consulting with other school districts and school systems to help them succeed.
“I have a desire to have a larger impact by growing more than just one community at a time,” he said.
He’s already in high demand, with constant calls from school districts across the country looking for guidance on replicating what he has done in Indian River County. Having a greater impact on other districts appeals to him, although, he said, he is completing his last superintendency.
His current Indian River County salary is $246,710.
“As I step back from where the system is — and (asking myself), ‘Is it appropriate to leave?’ — based on what fuels and drives me and the impact that I am chasing and want to have, the answer becomes very, very straightforward,” he said. “There’s opportunities for me to go and help and support other districts have this kind of success while this district — based on the people that are here, the habits that have been created, the systems that are in place — can continue to thrive and grow for years to come.”
Future plans
He’s still working out the details of exactly what he will do when he leaves in 10 months.
“Right now, the focus is on the School District of Indian River County,” he said. “I know what I want to do. How I’m going to do it is what I have to figure it out. I’ve got plenty to time to figure it out, and will have plenty of opportunities to provide that support.”
He has no plans to write a book, joking his 45-second attention span is too short for that. But he might consider developing a program for other school districts to follow.
After 7½ years with Indian River County schools, it’s time to move on, Moore said.
“I’ve never had a job more than 3½ years,” he said. “Every single assignment that I have has been around turnaround or transformation, going in and really, really solving really hard, complex problems.”
Prior to Indian River County, Moore was assistant superintendent in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. He was an administrator, director and high school principal, where he was charged with transforming failing schools, he said.
In Miami-Dade, he was credited with eliminating the district’s F schools within three years and moving the district from 65 schools below a C grade in 2014 to just one in 2019.
He began his education career as an exceptional-student-education teacher and counselor.
When Moore arrived in Indian River, surrounding counties were drastically outperforming it. The district’s three magnet schools and Beachland Elementary were the only A-rated schools, he said.
“So it was coming in to say that this community deserves a world-class education system, and that’s what I promised the board when I came here,” he said.
Moore delivered on his promise, he said. Every school, except for Dodgertown’s B, is now rated A. In 2025, Moore was named Florida superintendent of the year, and was a finalist for national superintendent of the year.
Who should replace Moore?
The School Board has time to launch a full search for his replacement. But Moore wants the board to look within his own developed internal team. Any one of his cabinet members would do well as a superintendent in this or any other district, he said.
“There are a number of skilled individuals in this system who not only know the way it works, they have created it, sustained it and grew it for the last two years,” he said. “I think before you would ever even consider looking external, you would look at the people who made this system what it is today, to identify someone who would continue to take it to the next level.”
Moore said he is concentrating on this school year, which began Aug. 10. He wants to end the year with all district schools earning an A, which he nearly accomplished in 2025-2026. Only Dodgertown slipped this year from its 2025 A-ranking to a B in 2026. He wants the district to rise higher than fifth in the state.
Dropping in the ranks and going back to the way the district once was is not an option, he said.
“The people who are here have had a taste of what a strong system is like. They’ve been empowered to make decisions, they’ve been trusted to make decisions,” he said. “There is no going back for Indian River County.”
Colleen Wixon is the Indian River County government watchdog reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida school superintendent hoping to spread impact on education
Reporting by Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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By Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
