‘We Are Ready’: Escambia Superintendent Visits Byrneville Elementary, Ernest Ward Middle

August 15, 2026

“We are ready.”

That’s how one Byrneville Elementary School student described the new school year, a sentiment echoed by Escambia County Public School Superintendent Keith Leonard, who continued his annual first week of school visits on Friday with stops at Byrneville and Ernest Ward Middle School.

“I am proud of where we started, and we are just going to keep working hard every day,” Leonard said, adding that enrollment had increased to over 32,000 students in traditional district schools.

Students in Byrneville fifth grade teacher Jacke Johnston’s class answered Leonard’s questions about what they did over the summer, their upcoming middle school, and what they like, so far, about fifth grade.

One of their favorite things about being a fifth grader is their “senior privileges,” especially eating lunch in their classroom.

“We have a refrigerator and a microwave that we get to use,” one student said.

The students also questioned Leonard about his job, expressing particular amazement that on the first day of school he stayed at work until after 6 p.m. when the last ECPS student made it home safely.

The superintendent also visited with Tracy Barberree very excited kindergarten class.

For more photos, click here.

Ernest Ward Middle

A “Congratulations! Ernest Ward is an ‘A’ school!” sign outside EWMS proclaims.

“Come here, listen how quiet this hallway is; you can’t hear a thing,” Leonard said during his visit to Ernest Ward in Walnut Hill. “These kids are well-behaved, and they are learning.”

At EWMS, he met with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger and Assistant Principal Rodney Drish as they prepared for an eighth grade meeting on the district’s Code of Student Conduct.

“With my eighth graders, it’s just a quick review because they know what is expected of them,” Boulanger said.

Leonard congratulated the Ernest Ward administration on the school’s A grade and overall learning gains.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments





Have a comment on this story?

We welcome your comments on this story, but there are some rules to follow::

(1) Be Nice. No comments that slander another, no racism, no sexism, no personal attacks.

(2) No Harrassing Comments. If someone says something bad about you, don't respond. That's childish.

(3) No Libel. That's saying something is not true about someone. Don't do it.

(4) Keep it clean. Nothing vulgar, obscene or sexually related. No profanity or obvious substitutions. Period.

(5) NorthEscambia.com reserves the right to remove any comments that violate our rules or we think to be inappropriate. We are not responsible for what is posted. Comments may not appear right away until they are approved by a moderator.

(6) Limit your comments to the subject in this story only, and limit comments to 300 words or less. Do not post copyrighted material. Comments will not be added to stories that are over 30 days old.

(7) No posts may advertise a commercial business, political candidate or political group, or link to another commercial web site or political site of any kind.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT TOP