DELAND, Fla. — Volusia County Schools leaders are highlighted their successes and set a path to the future Thursday during the first-ever State of Our Schools Address. 

During the event, Superintendent Carmen Balgobin set her goals for the district by sharing a strategic plan. 

Balgobin says over the next few years, the district will focus on four things. 

They plan to recruit and support staff, provide conditions that enhance student learning, maximize resources to support student learning, and ensure commitment to stakeholders. 

“Schools are an integral part of the community, so it’s important to keep your community informed in terms of what your vision is,” Balgobin said. 

This plays into the overall goal of the strategic plan, which is all students will engage in high levels of learning every day. 

The superintendent wants to inspire the next generation. 

“My parents said to me that the most important thing you can do for yourself is allow yourself to obtain a really good world class education because it’s the one thing nobody will be able to take away from you,” Balgobin said.  

Former Volusia County Schools employee Kim Short was at the event and said she loves to see students be the best they can be. 

“I am the only person who’s ever substitute taught in all 67 of the schools,” Short said. 

Short’s passion for student success never went away, and now that she's a marketing ambassador, she said she hopes that community partnerships with the school district can continue to grow.

“I hope that we all continue to work together so we can see more success for our students," Short said. "That’s ultimately the biggest goal for me. I sit on almost every workforce and education committee within the chambers. We’re always looking for ways we can partner and grow ways to fulfill our future workforce."

Balgobin also pointed to the county's current graduation rate, which, at 93.7%, is four percentage points higher than the state average.