in Osceola School District

The School District of Osceola County selected Dr. Mark Shanoff as its next Superintendent during its Tuesday June 13 board meeting.

Dr. Shanoff is the current Chief Interim Information Officer with Orange County Public Schools, with prior experience as the Chief Operating Officer with the Volusia County School District and principal at a number of Orange County schools, including Edgewater High School, Ocoee Middle School, and Dillard Street Elementary School.

“I am excited to work with our forward-thinking Board, and alongside the outstanding professionals in the School District of Osceola County, to create opportunities for all students. The formal educational experience for our children is a mere short segment of their lives and we have a duty and an obligation to ensure it’s high quality, meaningful and positive.”

Shanoff received his teaching certification at Harvard University, his Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education at Rollins College, his Master of Science in Educational Leadership at Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida, and his Doctorate in Education at the University of Central Florida.

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By J. Daniel Pearson For Positively Osceola

Tohopekaliga’s Nikko Martell to Take Over Kowboys Baseball Program

An anticipated exhaustive search for the right candidate to replace retiring Osceola baseball coach Scott Birchler lasted just a few days, as Kowboys Athletics Director Rick Tribit named former Tohopekaliga skipper Nikko Martell to the post on Tuesday afternoon.

“When he applied for the job I was intrigued by the possibility,” Tribit said. “From my days at Winter Springs, I know how difficult it can be to start a new program – especially in baseball where you are often behind the eight ball in terms of facilities, equipment, resources and even players. Nikko has done a fantastic job of building the program at Tohopekaliga. In a very short period of time, he not only transformed the Tigers into a competitive program but a winning one.”

Entering his 11th year as a high school coach, Martell spent five years as an assistant coach at Gateway. When Tohopekaliga opened for 2018-19 school year, Martell became the first head baseball coach. A 4-15 initial season was followed by a 3-4 Covid year and a 5-12 mark in 2020-21.

He posted his first winning season in 2022 with a 10-9 season before winning a school record 12 games last season. That achievement — combined with the culture he created — earned Martell the prestigious “Mike Fields Distinguished Leadership Award.” Named after the former St. Cloud and Harmony baseball coaching legend, the award recognizes athletic achievement, sportsmanship and community service. Under Martell, Tiger baseball players and staff volunteered to work numerous campus events, including handling parking duties and interacting with campus visitors.

For the past couple of years Martell has organized and run the XT Preseason Classic, an honorary baseball tournament to remember his friend Xavier Torres; he also works closely with the Latinos in Action, helping create a Roberto Clemente Community Service Award for high school athletes who do volunteer work inside the community.

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