More students are graduating high school in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday.
DeSantis pointed to statistics showing the 2018-19 graduation rate in Florida stood at 86.9 percent, up from 86.1 percent the year before. That’s almost 28 percent higher than 2003-04 and up 9 percent over the past five years.
“I applaud Florida’s students, parents and educators for their hard work and dedication that lead to these increased graduation rates,” said DeSantis. “While these results are a positive mark of Florida’s upward progress, we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent. We must continue striving for educational excellence and making Florida the number one state in the nation for education.”
“Today’s results show that more Florida students than ever are positioning themselves for success after high school,” said Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. “I am very proud of them for their diligence and commitment to the value of education. Through Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida will continue raising the bar to ensure all students receive the world-class education they deserve.”
The governor’s office showcased gains among minority populations across the Sunshine State in recent years.
“Black or African American students’ graduation rate increased to 81.5 percent in 2018-19, a rise of 0.6 percentage points over last year and an increase of 13.5 percentage points since 2014-15. Hispanic students’ graduation rate increased to 85.9 percent in 2018-19, an improvement of 0.8 percentage points over last year and an increase of 9.2 percentage points since 2014-15,” the governor’s office noted. “Students with disabilities increased their graduation rate to 80.6 percent, a 3.6 percentage point increase over last year and a 23.8 percentage point improvement since 2014-15.”
Less affluent students are also seeing gains in the high school graduation rate.
“Economically disadvantaged students improved their graduation rate to 82.9 percent, an increase of 0.9 percentage points over last year and a rise of 12.5 percentage points since 2014-15,” the governor’s office noted.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
