Carmen Balgobin, Superintendent, Volusia County Schools | The CEO Magazine

Earlier this year, the CEO of a local medical company reached out to say thank you to Volusia County Schools Superintendent Carmen Balgobin. Flattered, but perplexed, she replied, “Thank you for what?”

“He told me how it used to be a hard sell to recruit staff because people wanted to move to an A-rated school district,” she tells The CEO Magazine.

When Balgobin joined Volusia County Schools in 2022, the Florida county had seven A-rated schools. Today it has 37. It was placed in the lower third of 67 school districts in the state in terms of graduation rates; today it has the ninth highest. Figures like this make recruiting much easier for the county’s businesses – and selling homes much easier for its realtors.

“We work with the Realtors Association and they’ll tell you that an A-rated school district is a selling point,” she says.

After all, as she knows, a strong educational institution is the hub and the engine for everything else in a community.

One compelling goal

Prior to Balgobin’s appointment, Volusia County had six superintendents in five years. She knew she was joining an organization that needed stability.

“First and foremost, we had to develop a strategic plan with one very compelling goal – to provide quality educational experiences to every learner every single day,” she explains.

“We had to look at the guardrails that must be in place to realize that goal. It was also important to look at where our folks were in terms of the knowledge base they had, the skill set that they needed and the resources that had to align to realize that goal.”

Balgobin started to implement a listen-and-learn approach for every department – something she still does. From there, she compiled and studied the data to see where the gaps were, what needed to be done, how it was going to be done and, finally, measured. Then she set about aligning the budget to these newly-defined priorities.

“It sounds simplistic, but it’s not,” she says. “The larger your organization is, the more you have to ensure that your plan of action is intentional, deliberate and that you know what to focus your intention on.”

The result is a cohesive way of working and a common language across all 85 schools in the district.

“It doesn’t matter what school you go to. If you’re talking about academic success, the language is going to be the same regardless,” she says.

A balancing act

Amid the district-wide strategy overhaul, Balgobin has also found time to focus on key areas, such as safety.

“I said to myself that if I were to become a superintendent, I would do everything I possibly could as a leader so that every student and staff feels safe in their learning and working environment,” she says.

As a result, Balgobin has instituted 27 safety and security measures – more than double the state requirements. She has also placed a new emphasis on foreign language acquisition. At the start of her tenure, Volusia didn’t have one dual-language or foreign language academy. Now it has three of each, with more to follow.

“We’re building these programs because I believe the purpose of education is to help students learn the skill sets to become global citizens,” she reveals.

Of course, technology is high on the agenda, too. But Balgobin is careful to ensure that digital learning tools are integrated responsibly into the curriculum.

“It’s a balancing act,” she says. “When you integrate innovation, it’s not to take away skill sets, but to enhance what you already have.”

An A-plus organization

For Balgobin, both the management aspect and leadership aspect need to align in a school system.

“A superintendent is a CEO of their organization,” she points out. “Operational efficiency is a precursor to academic excellence.”

That’s how the organization can fully deliver on the reason for its existence of providing quality education to every student, every day. Success, she says, belongs to her team.

“When we say we’re an A-rated school district, that really speaks to every single staff member,” she says. “They understood the vision and they executed that vision.”

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“One of the most meaningful opportunities that came from our merger with Launch Credit Union was the chance to build upon its long-standing partnership with Volusia County Schools. Through a shared belief in strengthening communities by investing in education, we’re expanding our ability to support students, educators and families while helping create brighter futures throughout Florida.” – Bob Hyde, Vice President of Community Impact, Suncoast Credit Union

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It also has to deliver to key partners, like Suncoast Credit Union, who value the role of education to prepare students to be responsible citizens that hopefully build their lives in the county.

“The finish line is to land jobs right here and make this economy great,” Balgobin says. “Our business leaders understand that model and are very engaged in it.”

The business community provides opportunities while students are still at school, in the form of apprenticeships for students and internship opportunities.

“This past summer, I asked for 300 paid internship opportunities and we received over 500 for students,” she says. “They are the cheerleaders. After all, it’s their future workforce.”

And it’s paying off. Balgobin notes that these increased opportunities have led to a shift – students are now graduating and stepping into work without leaving Volusia County.

Balgobin herself is also a cheerleader for her students.

“I have always been a leader that has strived for excellence for my students,” she says. “When it comes to this field, it’s about giving students opportunities to truly acquire the skill set, the knowledge base and the experiences to be as successful as they can be.

“I consider it a privilege to have had that opportunity.”