After 10 years as the Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, Dr. Barbara Jenkins has announced her retirement, which will be effective near the end of this year, according to an OCPS news release dated Tuesday, February 8.
Jenkins will open the 2022-2023 school year but officially retire in December after dedicating more than 30 years to serving the needs of OCPS students.
The Orange County School Board has been aware of her approaching retirement as she has been enrolled in Florida’s DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program) since 2018.
Jenkins is not only the first female superintendent in Orange County Public Schools, but also a product of OCPS and started her teaching career here.
A Superintendent Teacher Scholarship Fund for future teachers is being established through the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools in her honor.
“Through the years, it has been my honor to work with phenomenal board members, teachers, administrators and support staff who are committed to leading our students to success. Serving in this role has been a calling and a tremendous blessing,” Jenkins was quoted as saying in a news release.
Under Jenkins’ leadership, the district won the prestigious 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education for academic achievements, which brought half-a-million dollars for student scholarships from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.
The district also received the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2014 and 2015 and the Sustained Excellence Award in 2017 for its exemplary performance using research-based best practices in its business.
In 2015, Dr. Jenkins led the district in successfully seeking District Accreditation from AdvancED for its best practices in the education field. OCPS has repeatedly been recognized by the College Board for increasing access to Advanced Placement course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the number of students earning exam scores for college credit.
The School Board discussed a tentative timeline to name Superintendent Jenkins’ replacement, which will begin with a February 15 work session.
