Parent and Community Summer Update

July 15, 2026

A Message from Principal Katrina W. Granger...

Greetings Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary Family!

Welcome to the 2026–2027 School Year! A Historic New Beginning for Riviera Beach

Dear Riviera Beach Families and Community,

Welcome to our very first community update for the 2026–2027 school year! July is flying by, and I hope you are all continuing to find time to rest, recharge, and soak up these beautiful summer days with your loved ones.

As we inch closer to August, the anticipation is building for an incredibly exciting, historic milestone. Through the Riviera Beach School Initiative, our community is transitioning into a specialized campus model designed to give our scholars the targeted, high-quality education they deserve.

To help clarify how this exciting new structure works:

West Riviera Elementary will now officially serve our youngest learners in Pre-K through 2nd grade, focusing on early foundational literacy and academic play.
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary is officially our dedicated Intermediate Campus, serving 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders as they transition into leadership, critical thinking, and higher-level academics.

Bringing together the incredible, powerhouse educators from West Riviera, Lincoln, and our own Bethune campus to form one unified faculty is going to make this an unforgettable school year!

Preparing for Excellence.

Our educators have been working hard behind the scenes all summer! Back in June, our unified staff came together for an inspiring professional development series, "The Renaissance: Reimagining the 3-5 Experience."

The energy, collaboration, and passion our teachers brought to these sessions set a powerful tone for the upcoming school year. We truly have the most dedicated, loving, and skilled staff in the entire district preparing to welcome your children!

Campus "Glow-Up" Update

We are making sure our physical environment matches the high standard of excellence we strive for in our classrooms every single day. Our campus transformation is moving right along:

Fresh Paint: Vibrant new interior paint is brightening up our hallways.
Mirror-Like Floors: Our custodial team is giving the floors a beautiful, high-gloss wax finish.
Parking Lot Resurfacing: Progress is well underway to ensure a safer, smoother arrival and dismissal experience.

Anchored in Our Mission

As you enjoy these remaining weeks of summer, I invite you to keep our school Motto close to your heart:

BELIEVE in the potential of every scholar who walks through our doors.
BUILD the systems and relationships that foster success.
BLOOM into the premier intermediate campus that our Riviera Beach families deserve.

Our 2026–2027 Theme is our ultimate driving force: Rise Up to A-chieve. We are fully committed to earning that "A" school grade this year, and we cannot do it without your invaluable partnership.

Please continue to prioritize your family's wellness and self-care during these final weeks of summer. I will be back in your inbox next week with more updates regarding registration, meet-the-teacher events, and school supply lists!

With deep appreciation and excitement,

Much love, Katrina