Brevard County Public Schools

Preparing Students for Liftoff

The Space Coast’s Educational Advantage

On Florida’s east central coast, the sight of rockets launching from Cape Canaveral is part of everyday life. For Brevard Public Schools, that proximity shapes a clear mission: prepare students not only for higher education, but also for the rapidly expanding aerospace industry.

Dr. Mark Rendell, superintendent of Brevard Public Schools, oversees a district of about 70,000 students and describes its mission as both academically and workforce-driven. He notes that Brevard has “a strong history of high academic achievement” and “does an excellent job of preparing kids for four-year university,” while also offering “a robust career and technical education component” rooted in the county’s unique environment.

“We are really tied to the space industry,” he says. “We are not only launching rockets, but we are also building rockets here. We feel like our job as a school district is to provide some of the human capital that the space industry needs.”

With companies like Blue Origin, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, L3 Harris, and Northrop Grumman expanding along the Space Coast, human capital is more in demand than ever. Brevard Public Schools has responded with programs that begin in elementary school, continue through advanced CTE pathways, and are supported by strong student and teacher support systems.

Wellness, Retention, and Growth

Thanks to a voter-approved additional property tax millage, Brevard can offer an uncommon level of support for students and staff by hiring extra counselors, social workers, and therapists. Dr. Rendell notes that the district has “focused on resiliency the last couple of years.” As a result, the suicide risk inventory has decreased for two consecutive years — a sign that students are getting the help they need earlier.

80% of mileage revenue goes directly to employee compensation, strengthening retention across all employee groups. Dr. Rendell points out that the district’s instructional retention rate improved from 91 percent to 93 percent in just one year, adding that “we can keep a lot of educators in the classroom.”

The district also welcomes second-career teachers, who comprise about 40 percent of new hires. Its free, in-house teacher certification program is the highest-rated district-based program in Florida. A structured mentorship system, backed by stipends and release time, provides essential support for new educators and contributes to a stable workforce capable of sustaining long-term innovation.

Preparing the Space Workforce

For Lockheed Martin, Brevard is central to NASA’s Artemis program and the future of deep space exploration. The company now builds the Orion spacecraft locally, creating a growing demand for skilled technicians.

Brian Baluta, Director of State and Local Government Relations for Lockheed Martin Space, explains that “for the first seventy years of the space coast, this is the place for launch,” but the last decade has transformed the region. Rockets and spacecraft are no longer built elsewhere and shipped to Florida — “we build the Orion Artemis spacecraft here,” he says, a shift that significantly increases the need for a technical workforce.

Baluta is quick to dispel the idea that only engineers can contribute to space exploration. “There is a misconception that you need to be a rocket scientist to contribute,” he says, emphasizing that technicians — “the eyes and the hands of the engineers” — are essential. “We do not get back to the moon without our technical workforce.”

Many Brevard graduates, some still in their teens, now work directly on spacecraft for Artemis and other missions, often while pursuing college degrees supported by Lockheed’s tuition assistance programs. Baluta describes the company’s talent approach by saying, “We would much rather be farmers than poachers,” and values the district partnership because it allows Lockheed leaders to engage with students and teachers early and often.

Lockheed supports seven FIRST Robotics teams in the district, providing both equipment and mentorship. The commitment runs deep, as Baluta emphasizes: “The same principle guides every project we take on. We want the outcomes to last for generations, not just for today.”

STEM from the Start

Brevard’s STEM momentum begins in elementary school, where every campus has a dedicated STEM teacher. Tara Harris, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, says the investment came in response to community expectations: “A parent says we are on the Space Coast and asks why we do not have STEM in elementary schools.” With the help of millage funding, the district made it a reality.

Classrooms emphasize critical thinking, experimentation, and pre-engineering skills. Partnerships with the Center for Space Education and Florida Power & Light help fund hands-on learning environments.

Digital skills start early as well. Sixth graders earn digital tool certificates in platforms like Google Sheets and Slides, with plans to expand certification opportunities to fourth grade. Harris believes early exposure matters, noting that “workforce development or excitement does not need to wait until middle and high school.” Tools like Zello help younger students explore careers and connect classroom learning with their future.

Destination Space: A Signature Experience

One of the district’s most memorable programs is Destination Space, a comprehensive sixth-grade experience that includes classroom lessons and a day at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Dr. Rendell explains that “every one of our sixth-grade students participates,” and stresses that “it is not just a field trip.” Students complete aerospace-focused lessons before the visit, meet with a NASA astronaut during their experience, and return to follow-up lessons afterward.

Funded by the Brevard Schools Foundation, the program has a long record of sparking student interest. Dr. Rendell recalls a former student who found his passion for aerospace during Destination Space and later majored in aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida. “That spark began in sixth grade,” he says. “The idea is that we start that spark in elementary school and then show them the pathway.”

Lockheed Martin’s robotics sponsorships and mentorships help sustain that momentum throughout middle and high school.

Industry-Aligned Pathways

By high school, Brevard students can choose career pathways built directly around regional industry needs, including aviation, machining, mechatronics, and astronautics. Many programs offer dual enrollment with Eastern Florida State College or Florida Tech, allowing students to earn college credit while preparing for technical careers.

At Merritt Island High School, the astronautics and flight exploration program features VR systems, flight simulators, robotics, dual-credit coursework, and even sessions in a zero-gravity laboratory. Harris says the district is “really thinking about readiness for those industry certifications in our career and technical education programs.”

Baluta adds that early college credit makes students particularly strong candidates for employers and points to the EFSC aerospace technician program — shaped in part by Lockheed — as especially compelling to hiring managers. He also stresses that “career and technical education does not preclude someone from going to a four-year institution,” instead offering “a unique pathway for growth in a cost-effective way.”

State-of-the-Art Learning Environments

The district has invested heavily in facilities that mirror real industry settings. Dr. Rendell describes one high school where “we have an aviation program with an aircraft hangar that has two airplanes and a helicopter inside,” and another where a space mechatronics program uses the same machines employed by one of the district’s space industry partners to build spacecraft.

Other facilities include advanced robotics labs, Mars rover equipment, and flight simulators. State and federal workforce development funds help support these investments.

Safety remains paramount. In accordance with Florida’s post-Parkland requirements, each campus has an armed security specialist and hardened entry points. Brevard has also installed weapons-detection systems at high schools and expanded camera systems to monitor facilities.

Opportunity Networks

Though aerospace is central to the region, Brevard also collaborates with chambers of commerce and the Economic Development Commission to support other growing industries, including advanced manufacturing. “We try to match students to local industry needs,” Dr. Rendell says, adding that when new industries emerge, the district partners with local organizations to understand those workforce demands.

Lockheed Martin’s supplier network demonstrates the scale of opportunity, with more than one hundred suppliers in Brevard County alone. Baluta believes the industry’s impact is transformative, saying, “It can change lives and family trees.”

Written in the Stars

Looking ahead, the district aims to make its pathways even more transparent and more accessible. Dr. Rendell hopes that “when rockets launch here at the Cape, our students watch that rocket and see themselves as a part of it.”

For Harris, adaptability is the skill that will define student success. “It is evolving so rapidly that we have to teach students that you learn things, you unlearn things, and then you relearn,” she says, adding that industry partnerships ensure classroom STEM lessons remain relevant.

Baluta agrees that the future of exploration will require tapping into local talent. “Space is for everybody,” he says. “If we are going to have a sustained presence on the moon and go to Mars and beyond, we cannot leave talent lying dormant.”

In Brevard, that talent may begin with a child staring up at a rocket — and a school district ready to show them the way forward.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Brevard County Public Schools

What: A large, space-coast school district serving diverse communities across Brevard County, Florida, with a strong focus on academic achievement, workforce readiness, and STEM education.

Where: Brevard County, Florida

Website: www.brevardschools.org