Please be advised that on designated Teacher Work Days, the school office will have adjusted hours of operation at both SouthTech Academy High School and SouthTech Preparatory Academy Middle School.
The office will be open from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on the following dates:
Get ready, SouthTech Academy families! Our Meet the Teacher Night is happening on Tuesday, August 26th at 6:00pm. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to meet your student’s teachers, learn about classroom expectations, and even earn extra credit for your student to use in one class of their choosing.
We look forward to seeing everyone there and kicking off an amazing year together!
SouthTech Schools is proud to announce that both SouthTech Preparatory Academy and SouthTech Academy schools received an “A” rating for the 2025 school year. We are so proud of the hard work our students and staff put in each day and look forward to another year of success!
Flip through the pages of the Fall 2025 edition of Florida Farm and Family magazine. This issue features an academy showcasing agriculture’s array of career paths for students, mooovie star cows that have become social media sensations alongside their owner, a family business introducing new flavors with tropical fruits, must-sees on a trip to the “horse capital of the world,” autumn squash recipes and more.
Read full article here: http://floridafarmfamily.com/magazine/florida-farm-family-fall-2025
Read full article here: http://floridafarmfamily.com/magazine/florida-farm-family-fall-2025
At SouthTech Academy in Boynton Beach, Florida, high school students can choose from 11 different academies, readying them for careers ranging from automotive to cosmetology with industry certifications. But no matter what they choose, nearly every career path now incorporates agriculture.
“When I started at SouthTech, I taught science,” says Meghan Hess-Shamdasani, who has been at SouthTech Academy for 14 years and is now the school’s career and technical education coordinator. “Our agriculture program began as an interdisciplinary program in 2020. I incorporated agricultural topics into our science classes and then registered them with the state so students could start obtaining ag industry certifications. We integrated it into what we were already teaching.”
“Informally, the AgriTech program began in 2020 with three hydroponic towers we bought with grant funding,” Hess-Shamdasani says. “Once in-person schooling resumed after the pandemic, kids got so much joy from planting things, using their hands and being outside. I applied for a few more grants to purchase more towers and establish different plant systems.”
In science class, students learned how to plant seedlings, test for nutrient levels and harvest plants. Students grew basil, cilantro and other herbs in the towers to either take home or give to the culinary students. When Hess-Shamdasani ran out of room, other teachers started housing the hydroponic towers in their own classrooms.
“I trained the students in my classroom, then sent them out to take care of them around the school,” she says.
One tower landed in the automotive building. It sparked interest on how to incorporate agriculture into a potential diesel program, where students can learn not only how AG products are used to make diesel fuel but also as a segway on how to repair equipment for horticulture and diesel engines.
SouthTech Academy now has 30 total hydroponic towers and 10 standalone systems to grow seedlings.
Students can also work in the large outdoor garden, learn to raise mushrooms through mycology studies and care for 40 tilapia thanks to an aquaculture grant that allowed the school to purchase tanks. Currently, they have between 100 and 200 students obtaining ag industry certifications.
In addition to preparing for agricultural careers, it’s clear that students really enjoy learning about and researching agricultural topics – an important aspect for the industry’s future.
“We’ve had two winning teams at the high school level for the Purple Plow Challenge, which is a STEM competition hosted through the American Farm Bureau,” Hess-Shamdasani says.
One team tested honey for insect DNA to track bee diversity and diseases. The other team turned an outdoor hydroponic tower into a pollinator garden, conducting studies on the increased wildlife and diversity in an urban area.
“I think for the students, the recognition increased awareness that they were doing great things,” she says. “And it gives our program more weight as well.”
Students participating in the program will take this knowledge with them as they transition to adulthood and enter the workforce, knowing the importance of ag in all aspects.
“People should know where our food is grown, how it’s grown and how important it is,” Hess-Shamdasani says. “The more awareness students have as they enter adulthood, the better prepared they are to make decisions with their wallets and their ballots. They become informed consumers.”
The AgriTech program helps spread this knowledge to all students, whether they’re slated for a career in ag or not.
“Even if kids don’t think they’re working in the ag industry, their career will very possibly be related,” she adds. “It ties into so many different programs.”
Hess-Shamdasani looks forward to the future as the program is poised to grow with more students becoming interested in the AgriTech academy. Plus, the school is located in an urban area, so the career track lends itself well to decent-paying jobs straight out of high school focused on urban ag if that’s the path students choose.
Learn more about the AgriTech program and all of SouthTech Academy’s offerings at southtechschools.org.
12 Charter Schools from Nine States Recognized for Excellence in Community Engagement, Educational Innovation, Student Empowerment, and Leadership
$160,000 in Grants to be Awarded at Nonprofit’s IMPACT Summit Awards Gala in Miami on May 7
WASHINGTON, DC (March 26, 2025) – Building Hope, the non-profit leader in charter school facilities, financing, and services, has unveiled the twelve winners of the fourth annual Building Hope IMPACT Awards. These schools have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the charter school community across the nation. Each of the four award categories—Community Engagement, Educational Innovation, Student Empowerment, and the S. Joseph Bruno Model Charter Award—features three outstanding public charter schools that demonstrate the transformative power of education to change lives and communities. In total, $160,000 in grants will be awarded, including one $20,000 grant and two $10,000 grants in each of the four categories, on May 7, 2025, in Miami.
“We are proud to announce our fourth cohort of exceptional charter schools which demonstrate the powerful impact great education has on the lives of students,” said Building Hope President and CEO William D. Hansen. “Building Hope is honored to support these twelve, inspirational schools and celebrate their dedication to student success, educational excellence, and community impact.”
The twelve 2025 winners represent nine states:
“These inspiring educational models with passionate, dedicated leaders are beacons of hope for the future of education,” said Chief Impact Officer and Chair of the IMPACT Selection Committee Sherilyn Moore. “We are honored to shine a light on their amazing work to uplift students, families, and communities.”
The IMPACT Award winners will share their unique stories and discover their grant award amounts during Building Hope’s fourth annual IMPACT Summit, May 6-7, 2025, in Miami. The summit is open to charter school leaders nationwide. To register or for additional information about the IMPACT Summit, visit https://impactawards.buildinghope.org.
Palm Beach County Food Bank specialists are licensed to assist qualifying applicants with the following applications:
The Palm Beach County Food Bank is the only organization authorized by the Department of Children and Families to conduct verification interviews for benefits on their behalf. By utilizing their service, it may significantly reduce the wait time for issuance of benefits for qualified families.
Parents may schedule their appointment with a specialist by contacting the numbers below:
Great news Bulldogs…all students will receive breakfast and lunch at no charge again this upcoming school year!
However, if you would like to qualify your child for additional benefits, such as SAT/ACT fee waivers and scholarship opportunities, please complete the eligibility survey found at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application.
This income survey is provided as a courtesy for students that may need an eligibility letter for these additional benefits.
Please note that if your child or anyone in the household receives SNAP benefits, you do not need to complete this form. Instead email a copy of your benefits letter to MealBenefits@palmbeachschools.org along with your child’s name, date of birth, and school name.
Below is an interview for South Florida Sunday featuring SouthTech’s Transition Program and the program coordinator, Robert Pancione. Please visit https://www.southtechschools.org/transition-program/ for more information on the Transition Program.
Boynton Beach, FL- September 15, 2021—SouthTech Academy, Florida’s premier career and technical high school located in Boynton Beach, proudly announced a partnership with Ed Morse Automotive Group. This partnership includes a unique collaboration with the legendary automotive dealer group to create the Ed Morse Automotive Technology Program.
This program will include:
“We have been blessed to have a long-standing relationship with an organization like Ed Morse Automotive Group and are thrilled to take this partnership to the next level. For years, their team has supported our students and faculty with new automotive uniforms, vehicles to work on, curriculum assistance, and help in securing hundreds of thousands of dollars of cutting-edge equipment to best train the next generation of workforce in the automotive service industry,” said Carla Lovett, Executive Director of SouthTech Schools.
The Ed Morse Automotive Technology Program provides students with real-word automotive knowledge and practical experience in a nurturing environment. Juniors and seniors can earn the Florida Auto Dealers Association (FADA) and Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Auto Maintenance and Light Repair Industry Certifications. Graduates are well-prepared for careers and/or post-secondary study.
“We have supported this program which continues to get better every year. The Academy produces incredible talent that is immediately ready to work at a high-level in any professional automotive setting. We have many graduates currently working with us in our service departments and look forward to hiring many more,” said Teddy Morse, Chairman and CEO of Ed Morse Automotive Group.
The Ed Morse Automotive Group is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, and has been family-owned for 75 years. Considered to be one of the nation’s most respected automotive dealer groups, Ed Morse Automotive Group has over 1,400 employees, 24 dealerships locations, 42 franchises and 14 automotive brands. www.edmorse.com
“It’s simply an honor to have received so much support from such a prestigious organization like Ed Morse Automotive Group. They’ve truly helped us shape our state-of-the-art Automotive Repair, Collision & Technology curriculum into being a game-changing program nationally. When Ed Morse says that they have your back… they mean it and it is positively changing the lives of our students,” said Timothy Brown, SouthTech Academy Automotive Department Chair.
About SouthTech Academy
SouthTech Academy (STA) is a public, tuition-free charter school, serving Palm Beach County students in grades 9 through 12. STA offers 11 career academies that prepare students to successfully earn a wide variety of industry certifications, preparing them for entry-level positions in their industry of choice. It offers 11 career and technical academies including: Culinary Arts; Medical; Automotive Service; Automotive Collision; Medical Sciences, Veterinary; Business, Cyber Security-IT; Music- Rock & Roll; Digital Film; Commercial Arts; and Cosmetology. https://www.southtechschools.org/southtech-academy/