Governor DeSantis unveils James Madison statue in Madison County and highlights teacher civics program

Governor DeSantis unveiled a statue of James Madison in Madison County onstage as part of America250 commemorations and used his remarks to highlight statewide civics education efforts.

At the event, Governor DeSantis said the state has made a sustained push to strengthen civic education. "So we created a program called the civic seal of excellence," he told the crowd, describing 50 hours of teacher training tied to a $3,000 bonus. "We've paid out almost 60,000,000 in bonuses to teachers just for this civic seal of excellence," he said, and added that about 21,000 teachers have participated in the program.

DeSantis described the broader America250 work as including statue replicas and local commemorations; he said replicas of founding-era figures are now on display across Florida counties and announced that the James Madison statue will be shown in Madison County. Alexis Lambert, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, who filled in for Secretary of State Cord Byrd, connected Madison's historical interest in land stewardship to modern conservation work and thanked the governor for state investments in water quality and resilience.

The governor also pointed to a debate initiative and scholarship competitions as part of the civic push. He said hundreds of students competed at a New College championship, and that winners received college scholarships. DeSantis said the state now administers a civic competency exam for graduating seniors to measure civics knowledge and track improvement over time.

Organizers framed the unveiling as both ceremonial and educational: the statue is intended to draw local interest in Madison's role in the founding era and to encourage study of documents such as Federalist No. 10. The event included local officials, a sheriff's appearance and brief remarks from Florida DEP leadership.

The ceremony ended with a brief onstage photo opportunity with local youth and participants; DeSantis signed materials for attendees before closing the event.

The statue is now on public display in Madison County, and officials said the civic education programs will continue pending the legislature's budget decisions.