The Foundation for Rural Education Excellence, a registered 501 (C)(3) organization, was founded in 1998 to facilitate philanthropic support for rural school districts of the North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC): Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Nassau, Putnam, Suwannee, and Union Counties as well as Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and PK Yonge Developmental Research School. Working collaboratively, our mission is to enhance academic success and career opportunities for rural students in northeast Florida.

NEFEC Rural Connect sessions were held in Lake City September 14th and 16th. Administrators and coaches from NEFEC districts came together to collaborate and share ideas. This is a follow-up to the week-long institutes held during the summer.

Educators will return for three content area sessions during the 2021-22 school year. In these sessions, participants will further enhance their abilities to develop solid unit plans focused on literacy standards and “text dependent questions.” All teachers attending the first Rural Connect sessions will receive a copy of the book “Pablo Neruda- Poet of the People.”  Rural Connect sessions are professional learning communities where educators share lessons and learn from one another.

Human Resources Directors gathered in Palatka on September 22 to discuss a wide variety of current challenges for rural school districts.

Topics included Title IX training, minimum wage implications, staffing shortages, new teacher induction, public records requests, and parental rights and notification requirements.

The HR Network meets quarterly to share best practices and develop strategies for new requirements or concerns.

FREE's annual golf tournament is scheduled for March 25, 2022, at The Palatka Golf Club. Stay tuned for additional information and registration.

Summer Leadership Conference