Monique Chery and her son, Darren, arrived at Melrose Elementary on Aug. 11 well before the first bell.
Pinellas County schools were resuming classes after a two-month break, and the first grader couldn’t wait.
“They have a playground. When we go to PE, we can play with roller skates,” Darren said while waiting for the doors to open. “And I think I’m going to learn some new words.”
Before long, the school entry thronged with excitement. Families arrived with the kids looking their first-day best, dancing to music pumping out of loudspeakers, taking photos in front of a banner proclaiming their school’s rise to an “A” grade after years of trying.
The hard work “never ends,” Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said while welcoming children to campus, along with several other civic leaders. “To see the joy and pride in this community, it literally brings you to tears.”
The district faces all sorts of challenges in the new year, Hendrick observed. Of perhaps the most immediate concern is how to deal with rapidly declining enrollment that already has prompted the closure of two schools, with the expectation of more to come.
Officials did not plan to release first-day attendance numbers. But they’ve projected a decrease of around 3,800 students from last year, which was down about the same amount from the year before.
Regardless of such operational concerns, though, Hendrick said the goal is to maintain a focus on improving students’ academic outcomes, building upon the successes that Melrose and other campuses experienced last year.
“That’s the reason we get into education,” Hendrick said.
Pinellas earned an “A” grade from the state as a district in 2025-26, and had no schools rated below “C.” When welcoming children to Melrose, teachers and others reminded students of the central focus, waving signs that read, “Thank you for making us an A district.”
Quisha Wright dropped off her twin daughters, Kassidy and Khloe, at the height of the celebration. She said she’s seen the school during bad times, including before the aging buildings were replaced, and now as it’s on the rise.
“It’s been great,” Wright said. “I think they’ve overcome the obstacles.”
To her fourth grade daughters, getting back to class carried no weight of the past. They simply looked forward to it.
“You get to reunite with friends and teachers,” Kassidy said.
“I’m going to try to make new friends and learn new things, just have a great time at school,” said Khloe.
By 8:30 a.m., most everyone had made their way to classes, their parents gone from campus. It was time to get down to business, Principal Carmen Harris said during announcements.
She emphasized the school rules, reminding children that positive behavior will be expected and rewarded. She stressed the importance of learning, introducing a “word of the week” initiative.
“We are going to focus on the power of words and how our words are going to help us become amazing readers,” Harris said.
And with that, they were off. One down, 179 to go.
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