The Martin County School District is proud to announce that David Shaffer has been selected to serve as the new principal of Port Salerno Elementary School.
A familiar and trusted leader within the Port Salerno community, Mr. Shaffer has served as the school’s assistant principal since 2017. During that time, he played a pivotal role in raising the school’s grade from a “D” to a “B” within two instructional years. His leadership in instructional systems, data-driven decision-making, and positive behavior support has led to meaningful gains in student achievement and school climate.
As assistant principal, Mr. Shaffer led efforts to strengthen core instruction, increase student engagement, and develop targeted professional development aligned with student data. Under his guidance, the school achieved Florida PBIS Gold Model status, a recognition of excellence in implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. He also actively engaged community stakeholders, creating data-informed reports to build partnerships and enhance student support systems.
Before joining the leadership team at Port Salerno, Mr. Shaffer served as a science and math teacher at Murray Middle School, where he also held leadership roles including department lead, digital learning coordinator, and robotics coach. His earlier experience includes work in Duval County as both a classroom teacher and a curriculum integration specialist.
Mr. Shaffer holds a master's degree in educational leadership and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of North Florida. He is a graduate of the National Institute for School Leadership program and holds multiple Florida certifications, including School Principal (All Levels), Educational Leadership, Elementary Education, and endorsements in Reading and ESOL.
During the 2024-2025 school year, Mr. Shaffer was recognized as the Martin County School District’s Assistant Principal of the Year.
Please join us in congratulating Mr. David Shaffer on his well-deserved promotion to principal of Port Salerno Elementary!
Ms. Lauren Gifford, former principal of Port Salerno Elementary has relocated to the District Office to serve as the new executive director of school improvement and leadership.