Theresa Axford Ends Tenure as Superintendent with Major Wins for Monroe County School District

Superintendent Theresa Axford with Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez and Deputy Superintendent Amber Acevedo in Tallahassee during the March legislative session.

On her final day as Superintendent, Theresa Axford received outstanding news from the Governor’s Office: the district’s request for $3.5 million to renovate Bruce Hall on United Street has been officially approved in the 2025–2026 state budget. This funding marks a significant milestone for the Monroe County School District and a fitting capstone to Axford’s five-year leadership.  She thanked Senator Ana Maria Rodriquez and Representative Jim Mooney, whose tireless effort on behalf of the School District, brought this allocation to fruition. Axford, who spent her birthday in March visiting legislators and explaining the project, was delighted to get this funding approved. She said that the dollars will assist the school district in vacating the district headquarters on Trumbo Point which will be the site of 150 units of affordable housing for teachers and staff.

Axford said “This is a great culmination of my five years as Superintendent. The allocation will move the district forward in vacating a dilapidated building and move affordable housing forward as well.”

On another front, but still related to funding, the district’s request for funding from the Tourist Development Council was approved at $500,000. This money will be used toward the development of a concession and baseball museum at Rex Weech field. The premise of the School District’s request focused on the importance of family entertainment at ball games, the relevance of local baseball history and the overall volume of tourists who come to athletic events in the Keys, bringing in many dollars for local businesses.

Axford acknowledged the complexity of the TDC application process but praised her team’s dedication: “They rose to the occasion, marked all the boxes, and were successful in receiving the funding.” The TDC allocation now awaits final approval by the County Commission in an upcoming meeting.

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