With the new school year in full swing, the Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board has resumed its meetings. Each month, the board focuses its attention on a different village school. The Monday, Sept. 9 meeting featured H.L. Johnson Elementary School with Principal Crystal Amado Kucharski presenting.
The philosophy of the board is that education is a team sport. One evening a month, educators come together at Royal Palm Beach Village Hall. The mission of the Education Advisory Board is to provide a forum where educators can collaborate with parents, village leadership, the school district and with other school officials to ensure that village students are receiving the best possible education.
Meetings typically kick off with the featured school providing brief entertainment. Last week was no exception, as Kucharski introduced Pentatonic Pride, H.L. Johnson’s excellent chorus. A standing-room-only crowd of parents responded with rousing applause for the beautiful music before the principal addressed the board.
The big news is that H.L. Johnson is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary educating village students. The school opened in 1984, the second public school built in the village, opening only two years after Crestwood Middle School.
During the late 1980s and into the 1990s, Royal Palm Beach was one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the United States. Kucharski reminded the audience that H.L. Johnson was originally designed to hold about 700 students. Longtime residents might remember when the school hit a record 1,700 students and was featured on “Good Morning America” as the most overcrowded grade school in the country.
“The school was super-crowded, there were portable classrooms everywhere, and I was a student!” Kucharski exclaimed.
She went on to explain that she is a local girl, having attended H.L. Johnson and Crestwood. She later spent time on the senior staff at Royal Palm Beach High School, so she has strong local knowledge and fully understands how education is so important to village parents.
“I also want to mention that I am not alone — 13 other current staff members attended H.L. Johnson as children, and 34 staff members have children who attended,” Kucharski said.
H.L. Johnson currently boasts 866 students and 109 staff members. The school has a long list of accomplishments, including great parental involvement. This past year, H.L. Johnson dropped three points and received a “B” rating.
Kucharski spent time at the podium outlining in detail her four-phased plan to significantly improve student outcomes as measured by standardized testing.
“It is evident that Dr. Amado Kucharski is meeting the challenge head-on to regain the A rating,” said Vice Mayor Jeff Hmara, council liaison to the Education Advisory Board. “The rigorous plan for improvement currently underway includes increasing in-class teaching support, year-round professional development, strategic monitoring of data and intentional planning for instruction. I’ve known Principal Amado Kucharski for several years, going back to her time as an assistant principal at RPBHS. She’s an extraordinary professional educator with the necessary skills to make H.L. Johnson an A-rated school again.”
One of the realities facing modern educators is the threat of school shootings.
“Safety is our No. 1 priority,” said Kucharski as she outlined highlights from the school’s robust safety plan, which includes mandatory ID badges for everyone, locked classrooms, diligent supervision and frequent drills.
Kucharski outlined her “Whole Child” concept, which features “Noble Jaguars.”
“Students learn how to feel safe, included and supported,” she explained. “Jaguars promote kindness, empathy and understanding.”
She went on to describe how mental health is stressed alongside physical health and wellness.
Betsy Bonano is the parent of a child at H.L. Johnson, and she also works as a school employee in aftercare. “My son Jayce loves H.L. Johnson, and so do I. The principal has an open-door policy, and she genuinely cares about students and staff,” she said.
Kim Pabst agreed. “My son Evan loves this school and all his teachers. In fact, now he wants to be a teacher when he grows up,” she said.
Nurse Fizelene Dumerlus has a daughter attending H.L. Johnson. “The thing I appreciate most about the school staff is that they go an extra mile to communicate with parents,” she said. “I feel included and involved.”
School Board Member Marcia Andrews regularly attends Educational Advisory Board meetings.
“I am so proud of the Royal Palm Beach educational community,” she said. “I love the way we come together and freely communicate about problems and solutions. Principal Kucharski and the other principals and assistant principals here genuinely care about the students.”
The Education Advisory Board meets at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of each month during the school year at Royal Palm Beach Village Hall. The next meeting is set for Monday, Oct. 7. Meetings are open to the public.
