- Santa Fe College and Bradford County School District formalized a partnership allowing students to earn an associate degree in nursing at the SF Andrews Center in Starke.
- A $4 million grant from Gov. Ron DeSantis funded a new nursing classroom and lab at the Starke campus to support this program's launch and construction is underway.
A meeting on Jan. 29 between officials from Santa Fe College and the Bradford County School District (BCSC) formalized a partnership that will allow students enrolled at the SF Andrews Center in Starke to earn their associate degree in nursing.
According to a release sent Tuesday, students who have graduated from the BCSD’s North Florida Technical College practical nursing program this fall can now enroll without leaving the Starke campus.
The program will have a new dedicated classroom and lab space, along with state-of-the-art equipment, via a $4 million grant provided to the BCSD by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Construction at the college, located at 609 N. Orange St. in Starke, is underway.
Tracy Ison, chair of Santa Fe College’s nursing programs, said in the release that it was challenging for nursing students to commute to SF’s Northwest Campus in Gainesville. She added that the rigor of the nursing program included the pressures of childcare, car issues and travel time. In the new program, students can focus on preparing for their careers in nursing.
“I know personally how important it is to have access to an A.S.N. Registered Nursing program in my community, because being a nurse at 19 years of age had nothing to do with opportunities in high school, it had a lot to do with access to a close community A.S.N. program that was high quality and made me successful,” Ison said in the release.
BCSD Superintendent Will Hartley also spoke about the importance of the program to students, including one student he met recently, who was excited to hear that the program will open about the time she is ready for it.
“These are very exciting times for us,” he said. “Since I assumed my role as superintendent, I have met with SF administration about deepening the collaboration between Bradford County School District and Santa Fe for projects like these.”
The sentiment was reflected by Nate Southerland, SF Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, in the release.
Santa Fe College “really loves being here in Bradford County and Starke, and we want to do what we can to complement what the school district and the technical college are doing to provide opportunities for students in this area,” Southerland said in the release.
Southerland recognized the contribution of Bradford County Telegraph publisher and Santa Fe College Foundation Board member John Miller for his support in providing time and resources toward making this partnership a reality.
The collaboration with Bradford County complements SF’s efforts to expand nursing education, including the Nursing ANEW program launched in 2022, which provides instruction on nights and weekends for working professionals.