I am Ronnie Gray, a long-time educator, and Suwannee County local seeking election to the office of Suwannee County Superintendent of Schools.
I began my career in Education at Suwannee High School nearly thirty years ago. After spending 17 years coaching and teaching in multiple content areas, I was hired by former principal Malcolm Hines as the Dean of Students at SHS in 2015, and in 2017 was selected to serve as the Assistant Principal of Administration.
In March 2018, Superintendent Ted Roush appointed me the Principal of Suwannee High School. Due to the hard work of students, faculty, and staff, Suwannee High School maintained a “B” school grade during my tenure as Principal. Other factors contributing to the school grade of “B” during my time as Principal were:
• Graduation rates among the highest in the state
• High percentage of students receiving industry certifications through the school's vibrant career-themed education programs
• Piloted targeted innovative practices for promoting literacy with struggling readers
• Our team created a student-to-student peer assistance program designed to provide support for students with disabilities
In June of 2021, I was selected by Superintendent Ted Roush as the Director of School Safety and Security, becoming only the second person to serve in this role in the district’s history. The SCSD has become a state leader in ensuring student safety under my leadership. We have implemented a comprehensive approach to providing safety for students and staff. Our chief accomplishments in my role as Safety and Security Director have been the continual improvements to the district’s Guardian Program–us being the first district in the State of Florida to deploy confidential and highly trained armed civilian and law enforcement personnel on school campuses. In 2022, I served as a sub-committee member with the state’s governing body for school safety, the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission. Working with state leaders, I aided in the modernization of the state-wide school safety incident reporting system.
My wife, Stephanie, who is also a local veteran teacher, and I feel blessed and thankful to have raised our children, Kyler and Hayley, in the Suwannee County community and school system. Having spent all my nearly 30-year career in Suwannee County, I am a proud professional product of the Suwannee County School District and am running on a proven track record of success and a wide range of experiences necessary for the role of Superintendent. I am the only candidate to work in all the following areas of high impact for students and staff:
• Teacher
• Head Coach
• Dean of Students
• Assistant Principal
• Principal
• County-Wide Athletic Director
• District Title IX Coordinator
• District Equity Coordinator
• Director of School Safety and Security
• District’s Emergency Management Liaison
I can wholeheartedly assert that my experience and years of personal dedication to the students and staff of Suwannee County have adequately prepared me for the position of Superintendent of Schools. I look forward to engaging with as many of you who call Suwannee County home as possible in the growing months and hope to earn your vote in November.
All the best to you and yours,
Ronnie Gray
Political advertisement paid for and approved by Ronnie Gray, Republican, for Suwannee County Superintendent of Schools.