Public Schools — Melbourne, Florida

Melbourne's public schools operate within Brevard Public Schools, an A-rated district as of the 2024-2025 school year, anchored by Melbourne High School and a network of elementary and middle campuses.

District Overview

Public schools serving Melbourne, Florida operate under Brevard Public Schools, the county-wide district headquartered in Viera. As of the 2024-2025 school year, Brevard Public Schools earned an overall district rating of A, according to reporting by The Space Coast Rocket and confirmed by the district's own publications. The district serves Melbourne's population of 85,718 — as documented by the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 — across more than 15 public school campuses within or directly serving the city. Schools are organized across the standard Florida grade bands: elementary (generally PK through grade 5 or 6), middle (grades 6 through 8), and high school (grades 9 through 12). The district's official website identifies individual campuses, enrollment figures, and administrative contacts for each Melbourne-area school.

School Profiles

Melbourne High School, located on Brevard's official school network, serves students in grades 9 through 12 and reported an enrollment of 2,210 students as of the 2024-2025 school year, per the Brevard Public Schools school overview page. As of May 2026, the principal is James C. Kirk, Ed.D., confirmed on the Melbourne High School administration page. Melbourne High's campus is one of the larger secondary institutions in Brevard County by headcount.

John F. Kennedy Middle School serves grades 6 through 8 and earned an A school rating for the 2024-2025 school year, an improvement from its B rating in 2023-2024, according to Brevard Public Schools. At the elementary level, Suntree Elementary School (grades PK–6) reported an enrollment of 599 students, and W. Melbourne Elementary School for Science (grades K–5) reported an enrollment of 550 students, as documented by Public School Review. Additional elementary campuses serving Melbourne include Spessard L. Holland Elementary and Robert L. Stevenson Elementary, both of which received statewide recognition in 2024-2025 (detailed in the recognition section below).

Melbourne High School Enrollment
2,210 students
Brevard Public Schools, 2024-2025
Suntree Elementary Enrollment
599 students
Public School Review, 2024-2025
W. Melbourne Elementary Enrollment
550 students
Public School Review, 2024-2025
JFK Middle School Rating
A (up from B)
Brevard Public Schools, 2024-2025
District Rating
A
Brevard Public Schools / Space Coast Rocket, 2024-2025
Melbourne High Principal
James C. Kirk, Ed.D.
Brevard Public Schools, 2026

Academic Programs and Pathways

Melbourne High School offers a range of academic pathways documented on its official Brevard Public Schools site, including Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, Career and Technical Education (CTE), Dual Enrollment, and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) services. These offerings position the school within Florida's broader framework for college and career readiness.

A notable career pathway announced in November 2025 is the Melbourne High School Health First Healthcare Academy, a partnership between Brevard Public Schools and Health First, a regional healthcare system. According to Space Coast Daily, the program is structured as a four-year pathway that includes hands-on training, industry certifications, and clinical experience prior to graduation. The academy reflects the district's alignment with Melbourne's broader healthcare and life sciences employment sector.

The existence of a W. Melbourne Elementary School designated specifically for Science indicates a curricular focus at the elementary level consistent with the region's aerospace and technology workforce identity — though the school's specific science-integration model is documented on the district's own campus pages rather than in publicly aggregated sources.

School Recognition and Ratings

For the 2024-2025 school year, Brevard Public Schools earned an A district rating, as confirmed by both The Space Coast Rocket and a Brevard Public Schools district release. John F. Kennedy Middle School's improvement from a B to an A rating that same year was among the gains cited in district reporting.

Two Melbourne-area elementary schools — Spessard L. Holland Elementary and Robert L. Stevenson Elementary — were named among 25 Brevard schools recognized as 2024-2025 Florida Schools of Excellence, per a Brevard Public Schools announcement. The Florida Schools of Excellence designation, created by the Florida Legislature in 2017, recognizes schools that rank in the top 20 percent statewide on Florida's school grading rubric. Only 25 Brevard schools received the designation for 2024-2025, making the inclusion of both Holland Elementary and Stevenson Elementary notable within the district context.

Florida's school grading system, administered by the Florida Department of Education, assigns letter grades (A through F) based on standardized assessment performance, learning gains, graduation rates at the high school level, and other metrics. The district's A rating for 2024-2025 places Brevard Public Schools among Florida's higher-performing larger districts, as reported by U.S. News and World Report's K-12 school rankings.

Community Context

Melbourne's public school system operates in a city whose workforce is concentrated in aerospace, defense, and healthcare — industries with direct implications for STEM education demand. L3Harris Technologies, headquartered in Melbourne and reporting Q4 2024 revenue of $5.5 billion per its January 2025 earnings release, and Northrop Grumman, which expanded its Melbourne facility from 6 to 17 buildings between 2016 and 2022 per Northrop Grumman's newsroom, both represent major employers whose workforce pipelines intersect with local educational institutions. Eastern Florida State College's $20 million Center for Innovation and Technology Education (CITE), which broke ground in April 2024 and was scheduled for an August 2025 opening per an EFSC news release, offers post-secondary pathways in advanced manufacturing, robotics, and engineering that complement the CTE programming available at Melbourne's public high schools.

The U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 documents a median age of 42.3 and a poverty rate of 14.9 percent in Melbourne, figures that frame the socioeconomic environment in which the district's ESE services, Dual Enrollment options, and career academies operate. The Health First Healthcare Academy at Melbourne High, for example, provides students with pathways toward certifiable employment credentials within a healthcare sector that ranks among the city's major industries.

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Used for: Population (85,718), median age (42.3), median household income ($64,504), median home value ($272,900), median gross rent ($1,411), poverty rate (14.9%), unemployment rate (4.4%), labor force participation (68.2%), owner-occupied housing (60.3%), educational attainment (21.2% bachelor's or higher)
  2. City of Melbourne — Historic Preservation Document, Crane Creek / Melbourne History https://www.melbourneflorida.org/files/assets/public/v/1/community-development/historic-preservation/1149-houston-st.pdf Used for: Original settlement name Crane Creek; location on natural harbor on Indian River Lagoon; Village of Melbourne incorporated December 22, 1888; corporate seal description; named for postmaster Cornthwaite John Hector from Melbourne, Australia; Eau Gallie merger with Melbourne 1969
  3. City of Melbourne — Eau Gallie Historic District Report https://www.melbourneflorida.org/files/assets/public/v/1/community-development/historic-preservation/eau-gallie-historic-district-report.pdf Used for: Eau Gallie founded by William H. Gleason c. 1870; approximately 16,000 acres from Indian River to Lake Washington; 1969 merger/annexation
  4. Florida Secretary of State — Eau Gallie Arts District Designated Florida Main Street Program of the Month https://dos.fl.gov/communications/press-releases/2024/press-release-secretary-byrd-designates-eau-gallie-arts-district-as-florida-main-street-program-of-the-month/ Used for: 1969 Melbourne annexation of Eau Gallie; Florida East Coast Railroad arrival 1893; Eau Gallie High School established 1924; EGAD Florida Main Street designation; monthly mural tours; Florida Stories audio app
  5. City of Melbourne — City Council https://www.melbourneflorida.org/Government/City-Council Used for: City Council member names and districts
  6. City of Melbourne — Mayor Paul Alfrey https://www.melbourneflorida.org/Government/City-Council/Mayor Used for: Mayor Paul Alfrey; elected 2020; re-elected 2024; Council-Manager government form
  7. City of Melbourne — Annual Comprehensive Financial Report FY2024 https://www.melbourneflorida.org/files/assets/public/v/1/annual-comprehensive-financial-report/2024-acfr.pdf Used for: Excess fund balance of $16,089,499 as of September 30, 2024; Olde Eau Gallie Riverfront Redevelopment Fund tax increment financing with Brevard County
  8. City of Melbourne — Melbourne Downtown Community Redevelopment Area https://www.melbourneflorida.org/Government/Departments/Community-Development/Community-Redevelopment-Areas/Melbourne-Downtown-CRA Used for: Downtown CRA established August 10, 1982; expanded 2006; ongoing revitalization mission
  9. City of Melbourne — City Receives $1.5 Million in State Funds for Key Projects https://www.melbourneflorida.org/News-articles/City-Receives-1.5-Million-in-State-Funds-for-Key-Projects Used for: $1.5 million in state funds for key projects in FY2025-2026 state budget
  10. City of Melbourne — West Hibiscus Boulevard Drainage Infrastructure Project https://www.melbourneflorida.org/Home/Components/News/News/11270/381 Used for: 2025 dual 9'x7' concrete box culvert replacement; five-month construction estimate; drainage and roadway improvements
  11. NASA — Kennedy Space Center History https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy/kennedy-space-center-history/ Used for: KSC as departure site for first human moon journey; historical role in U.S. space program; economic catalyst for Space Coast
  12. L3Harris Technologies — Q4 and Full Year 2024 Earnings Press Release https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2025/01/l3harris-technologies-reports-fourth-quarter-full-year-2024-results Used for: L3Harris Technologies headquarters in Melbourne, FL confirmed; Q4 2024 revenue of $5.5 billion; ongoing operations as major aerospace/defense employer
  13. Northrop Grumman Newsroom — Global Power Made in America: Northrop Grumman Makes It in Florida https://news.northropgrumman.com/global-power-made-in-america-northrop-grumman-makes-it-in-florida Used for: Melbourne facility growth from 6 to 17 buildings (2016-2022); B-21 Raider program; digital design focus; $1.6 million in 2024 charitable contributions to STEM and military/veteran causes in Florida
  14. Melbourne Orlando International Airport — Business Opportunities https://www.mlbair.com/business-opportunities Used for: Annual economic impact over $3 billion; daily population exceeding 20,000; aerospace/defense/manufacturing characterization
  15. Eastern Florida State College — Melbourne Campus https://www.easternflorida.edu/campuses/melbourne/index.php Used for: CITE programs: advanced manufacturing, robotics, cybersecurity, engineering; Health Sciences and Public Safety Institutes on Melbourne campus
  16. Eastern Florida State College — CITE Groundbreaking News Release, April 2024 https://www.easternflorida.edu/news-events/news-releases/2024/04-08-efsc-technology-education-center-groundbreaking.php Used for: $20 million CITE facility; groundbreaking April 2024; scheduled opening August 2025; Bachelor Degrees, Associate Degrees, College Certificates offered
  17. Eastern Florida State College — State Budget Funds High-Tech Centers, June 2022 https://www.easternflorida.edu/news-events/news-releases/2022/06-06-state-budget-funds-efsc-high-tech-centers.php Used for: $19.7 million Florida Legislature appropriation for CITE Melbourne; 16 college programs in aerospace, computer technology, engineering, advanced manufacturing
  18. Florida Institute of Technology — Institutional Research Enrollment Reports https://www.fit.edu/institutional-research/enrollment-reports/ Used for: Fall 2024 official enrollment reporting for Melbourne campus and online programs (fifth-week methodology)
  19. Florida Institute of Technology — Official Website https://www.fit.edu/ Used for: STEM mission; Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research; Ralph S. Evinrude Marine Operations Center on Crane Creek; applied learning from day one
  20. Brevard Public Schools — Official Website https://www.brevardschools.org/ Used for: District mission; Melbourne High School Health First Healthcare Academy announcement; graduation milestone data
  21. Brevard Public Schools — 25 Brevard Schools Named 2024-2025 Florida Schools of Excellence https://www.brevardschools.org/article/2467377 Used for: Florida State Board of Education Schools of Excellence designation; Spessard L. Holland Elementary and Robert L. Stevenson Elementary named among 25 honorees; top 20% statewide criterion; Florida Legislature program created 2017
  22. Space Coast Daily — Health First, Brevard Public Schools Partner for Healthcare Academy, November 2025 https://spacecoastdaily.com/2025/11/health-first-brevard-public-schools-partner-to-create-four-year-healthcare-career-pathway/ Used for: Melbourne High School Health First Healthcare Academy; four-year program; hands-on training, industry certifications, clinical experience before graduation
  23. Melbourne High School — Official Brevard Public Schools Site https://melbourne.brevardschools.org/ Used for: Melbourne High School academic programs: Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Career and Technical Education, Dual Enrollment, ESE
  24. Henegar Center for the Arts — Theatre History https://henegarcenter.com/theatre-history/ Used for: Melbourne School building constructed 1919, opened fall 1920; nonprofit BRAG established May 20, 1983; Henegar Center opened August 1987; Indian River Players
  25. Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) — About the Lagoon https://onelagoon.org/the-lagoon/about-the-lagoon/ Used for: IRL temperate/subtropical transition zone; biological diversity characterization; lagoon as economic engine
  26. St. Johns River Water Management District — Indian River Lagoon Facts https://www.sjrwmd.com/waterways/indian-river-lagoon/facts/ Used for: Indian River Lagoon as 156-mile-long estuary; brackish water characteristics; Atlantic salt water mixing with freshwater
  27. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Indian River Lagoon: An Introduction to a Natural Treasure (2007) https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-01/documents/58692_an_river_lagoon_an_introduction_to_a_natural_treasure_2007.pdf Used for: Indian River Lagoon 156 miles long; makes up 40 percent of Florida's eastern coast; lagoon ecology documentation
Last updated: May 1, 2026