Two Monroe County School District employees were recognized for their life-saving efforts when a house erupted in flames in the Lower Keys.
During a recent school board meeting in Marathon, the district handed “Great Education Moments” awards to Trevor Tylor, Sugarloaf School principal, and Tim Tedesco, school resource officer. In January, Tylor and Tedesco discovered a house fire near Tylor’s house and ran toward the flames to save the people and a dog inside. Tylor led two children and the dog out, while Tedesco found another person left behind.
Superintendent Ed Tierney and board chair John Dick praised the bravery of the two members of the Sugarloaf School family.
“(They) demonstrated remarkable bravery, quick thinking and deep compassion during a recent neighborhood house fire. After spotting heavy smoke, the two rushed toward smoke without hesitation,” said Amber Acevedo, deputy superintendent, who presented the awards. “Their willingness to act decisively in a life-threatening situation long before first responders arrived reflect extra courage and unwavering commitment to their community.”
In other school matters, Jennifer Walker, voluntary Pre-K director, outlined the district’s kindergarten kickoff initiative. Walker said parents and students should attend a morning or evening session at the district’s elementary schools on various dates around the third weekend in April. The meetings will provide registration, readiness screening and school information for students enrolling in kindergarten.
Every newly-enrolled kindergartner will receive a custom board game that promotes literacy and math readiness. The games help with number recognition, reading, counting and problem-solving skills. They also introduce the subjects of who are safe adults, traffic safety and school safety expectations. The board games are free and are meant for parents or older siblings to play with the kindergarten students. The money for the game sets is provided by local sponsors who have their logos integrated into the board design.
The board discussed both kindergarten readiness and enrollments. The goal of the county’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program is to prepare students to enter the full kindergarten curriculum. The standard Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) provides a picture of overall student readiness and skills throughout the county. Fifty-four percent of county students score at the 707 level, which is sufficient preparation for kindergarten. Dick recognized Tierney’s goal of making the Keys the best school district in the state and suggested creating a much higher goal.
District officials acknowledged a decrease in kindergarten enrollment in recent years in both public and charter schools. In 2025-2026, the enrollment in public school continued to decline while enrollment in charter schools increased.
Later, Tierney and board members emphasized that the public school district is in competition with charter schools and other forms of alternative schooling.
Jason Small, math coordinator for the school district, presented the accelerated mathematics pathway for students as early as third grade. The program’s primary goal is keeping students engaged in learning while avoiding having them repeat material.
If ready, students could take algebra in middle school and advanced math in high school. Small described how individualized scheduling can improve education in mathematics. The goal is to move students to advanced classes when ready.
The intent is to place students where they can thrive. Screening is done through the FAST assessment, but teachers also can nominate students. Students can exit the program if the pacing no longer fits their needs.
Lobbyist Kate DeLoach provided an update from the legislative session in Tallahassee. She said a bill passed both houses allowing participation in marching band to count toward physical education credit.
