TAVARES -- Lake County's 2023-24 high school graduation rate is 93 percent for district-operated schools, an increase of 1 percentage point over the 2022-23 graduation rate, which was 92 percent for district-operated schools.
The graduation rate for all Lake County public schools, including charter schools, which are not operated by the district, is 92 percent. An increase of about 2 percentage points over 2022-23.
Both graduation rates are higher than the statewide graduation rate of about 90%.
The 2023-24 data released by the Florida Department of Education on Thursday shows that all but one district-operated high school surpassed the 90 percent goal that Superintendent Diane Kornegay set for the district when she was appointed to the role in 2017. Eustis High School’s graduation rate was 86 percent.
“In 2012, when I came on board, our graduation rate was in the 70s,” said School Board member Bill Mathias. “The first time the superintendent spoke to me, it was about her vision to get to 90 percent, and with great leadership and also great selection of staff, that has been made possible. This is a hearty congratulations. This is an amazing report.”
Mount Dora High School had the highest graduation rate in the district at 99 percent, with Lake Minneola High School next in line at 98 percent. Lake County Virtual School and Leesburg High School had the biggest gains. Lake Virtual soared from 80 percent in 2023 to 91 percent in 2024, the largest increase in the district.
Frances Celis, executive director of Student Support Services, said in her presentation to the School Board that because the student population at Lake Virtual is small – only about 70 students last year – that just a few students can have a large impact on their numbers.
Leesburg High had the second largest increase, jumping from an 86 percent graduation rate in 2023 to 91 percent in 2024. “They’ve been tracking, they’ve been working, they’ve been following those kids,” Celis said. “Their population has grown, and they are graduating.”
Superintendent Kornegay credited the district increase to several factors, including a common vision for teaching and learning that is grounded in collaborative and independent learning opportunities. Additionally, the district has established several intervention programs that support the individual needs of students with additional time for learning and more intensive instructional support. Each high school has a graduation facilitator who tracks student progress and connects students to resources and programs designed to assist them in achieving all requirements to walk across the graduation stage ready to enter the workforce, the military and/or postsecondary education.
“Our graduation facilitators, counselors, teachers, administrators and students are to be credited for the outstanding work they are doing” she said. “I’m very proud of Team Lake.”
