A+ Schools for St. Johns Students

Keeping St. Johns County Schools #1 in Florida

A Record of Empowering Parents in their Children’s Education

Protecting Students

Kelly proactively implemented school safety improvements including: technology, facilities, and emergency communications.

Academic Excellence Growth

Kelly is focused on empowering our students to be successful life-long learners and facilitating mental health coordination in conjunction with families.

Increased Parental Involvement

Parents have the right to advocate for their kids. Kelly takes a dynamic approach in working together with parents to best serve our children.

Keeping Our Best Teachers

St. Johns supports our teachers! Kelly is committed to recruiting, training, and retaining our best teachers.

School Capacity

Kelly fought against overcrowding by opening 7 new schools and expanding 5 existing schools.

Expanding Vocational Academy Programs

Kelly supports expanding access to vocational schools and work-based learning programs to give our students more options as they enter the workforce.

Meet Kelly Barrera

A Dedicated Education Advocate. Not a Politician.

Kelly Barrera brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in education and business management to the St. Johns County School Board. She plays a strategic role in guiding the top-rated school district in Florida, overseeing more than 46,000 students and a $425.8 million operating budget. During her tenure, Barrera has addressed concerns about school overcrowding, with the opening of five new K-8 schools, one new high school, one new elementary school, along with the expansion of Crookshank, Mill Creek, Liberty Pines, Nease and a current high school under construction.

Barrera also advocated for a testing task force to reduce testing, increased Exceptional Student Education and guidance programs, and played a leading role in plans to strengthen school security. She has increased opportunities for parental and community involvement including: Superintendent selection committee, Citizen’s Sales Tax Advisory committee, Strategic Plan committee, Testing Task Force and dozens of town hall/community meetings held across the district.

Kelly is committed to providing all of our students with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to enter higher education or directly move into the workforce.

As a lifelong learner, she completed her master’s degree, has earned the Florida School Board Association’s Certified Board Member designation and Master Board Certification, and serves on the Schultz’s Center of Teaching and Learning, along with years of experience serving in advisory boards for our schools and in post-secondary education. In addition, Kelly holds a private pilot’s license and FAA unmanned aircraft part 107 certification.

A Ponte Vedra Beach resident, Barrera is a graduate of Jacksonville University, where she was the first female graduate of the aviation program and Embry-Riddle where she earned her Master’s Degree. She and her husband, Gil Barrera, are the parents of two adult children and two Rotary Youth Exchange students.

Key Endorsements

The Support of Our Legislative Delegation

State Senator Travis Hutson

Speaker-Designate Paul Renner

State Representative Cyndi Stevenson

Support Kelly Barrera

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