ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Stepping into a new position as St. Johns County’s superintendent comes with its share of responsibilities and goals for the upcoming year.
Dr. Brennan Asplen stepped into his latest role with the school district about three weeks ago. He said the transition has gone well and spoke about continuing the right momentum for a successful year.
“We need to continue to be focused,” Asplen said. “We need to continue to make sure that our folks really understand what the vision is, where we’re going, what are the gaps that we need to fill to help our students be successful, and if we do that, we’re going to be in great shape.”
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He isn’t new to the district, though; his first stint started in 2006. It’s also not the first time he’s served as a superintendent. He held that role for Sarasota County Schools from 2020 to 2023.
He returned to St. Johns County Schools in 2023 after leaving Sarasota. He served as deputy superintendent of operations before being named for the top job in the district.
He filled his previous role, and he’s also eliminated two positions since starting on July 1.
“I actually reorganized the cabinet and was able to eliminate two positions, actually, and save some dollars. We saved a couple $100,000 doing that,” Asplen explained.
News4JAX asked him to elaborate on the two positions he eliminated. Those roles included the senior director for accountability in intervention services and the senior director for professional development.
“I decided to take professional development, divide it up into three different categories under different other areas,” he shared. “Then the accountability position, I was able to pull that in under our curriculum and instruction area.”
Asplen aims to advance accelerated learning. For instance, he wants to ensure high schoolers take at least one advanced class.
He is also focused on leveraging technology to enhance communication through videos, podcasts, and town halls, as he recognizes that the school district is steadily expanding because the county’s population is growing.
“We’re still growing,” Asplen said. “We still have folks moving in. We have a new school opening in August. We have two more K-8s opening next August, in 2026, that we’re building right now.”
He also wants to ensure that the district stays competitive.
“We need to make sure that we are allowing our public to know exactly what we do and how we do it, so they can make a good decision,” Asplen said. “I think when they see that, they will choose to continue to stay in St Johns County. But we need to get the word out.”
But at Apslen’s core is the community.
“I love it because of the people,” he said about the school district. “The people here are very focused, very professional, very caring. Everyone works together, very welcoming. You have a sense of belonging here, and everybody’s here for the same reason, which is what is best for students.”
