The School District of Lee County is proud to announce the graduation rate for the class of 2024 rose to 85.8%, setting a record high for the School District since new graduation standards were implemented in 2022. The 2019-2020 graduation rate was artificially inflated by the exemption for seniors from statewide, standardized assessment requirements stipulated in state law due to the COVID pandemic.
Notable increases for the school district are Cypress Lake High School increasing its graduation rate by 5.6 points to 94.3%, Lehigh Senior High School increasing by 3.6 points to 89.2%, and Riverdale High School increasing by 3.4 points to 97.6%. Lee Virtual School graduated 100% of its class of 2024. Without charter schools, the graduation rate for the school district’s 15 high schools and Lee Virtual School is 93%.
However, the graduation rate again places Lee County ninth out of the 10 largest school districts and failing to keep up with the 1.7-point increase for the state of Florida’s graduation rate. This is a common trend the School District of Lee County is focused on reversing.
“Increasing student achievement is one of my top priorities as superintendent and the improvement in graduation rates is testament to the hard work of our students, teachers, school administrators and support staff,” said Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin. “At the same time, the graduation rate also demonstrates our continued need to work harder to meet and surpass the improvements seen by other districts and the state, so we truly are a world class school district. I am committed to ensuring we have the teachers and resources we need to improve academic excellence and student achievement.”
Florida’s Class of 2024 graduation rate report is available at this link.
School choice success heralded: In other education news, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Florida has surpassed 500,000 students participating in Florida’s school choice scholarship program. Additionally, more than 30,000 students are participating in the New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Program, with an additional 18,000 students utilizing the transportation stipend created by House Bill 1 (2023).
“Florida is the No. 1 state for education because of our commitment to providing every student with the option that works best for them,” said DeSantis. “I am proud that we have enabled over 500,000 students to access a high-quality education that fits their individual needs.”
“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida continues to lead the way in providing the best educational opportunities for every student.,” said Florida Department of Education Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “I am proud to see how many Florida families we are helping through school choice programs.”
In 2023, Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 1 (HB 1), which established universal school choice. The bill eliminated financial eligibility restrictions and the enrollment cap for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options. HB 1 also increased the annual scholarship cap growth for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities and created a new opportunity for Florida students not enrolled full time in a public or private school to participate in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program through a parent-directed Personalized Education Program. Additionally, HB 1 added a transportation stipend to the Florida Empowerment Scholarship Program.
In total, nearly 1.4 million students are utilizing a school choice option in Florida. Highlights of participation in Florida’s school choice programs for 2024-25 include:
- More than 524,000 scholarships awarded under the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC), Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES EO) and the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Disabilities (FES UA)
- 107,000 FTC Scholarships including Personalized Education Plans.
- 295,105 FES EO Scholarships
- 121,907 FES UA Scholarships
- More than 30,000 students to receive New Worlds Scholarship Accounts to access tutoring, curriculum and other supplemental support.
- Another 18,000 students utilizing FES Transportation Stipend to commute to schools outside their designated school zone
For more information about Florida’s school choice programs, visit https://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.