GLAD TO BE A GRAD: Members of class of 2024 of Palm Beach State College, which recently awarded degrees and certificates to more than 1,800 graduates. PHOTO COURTESY OF PBSC

By David L. Snelling

Miami – Florida’s high school graduation rate for 2023-24 reached an all-time high, as more students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas in state history.

According to the Florida Department of Education, the graduation rate increased by 1.7 percentage points from the previous school year, a rate of 89.7 percent, highest ever in the state.

“Florida leads the nation in education because we put education over indoctrination, empower parents, and have made school choice universal,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“This record graduation rate is a prime metric of our success, in addition to our No.1 in the nation rating.”

DeSantis said the best part about the record-breaking metric is that it exceeded pre-COVID-19 pandemic graduate rate of 86.9 percent.

The pandemic-era school years 2019-20 and 2020-21 were exempt from the statewide standardized assessment requirements commonly applied under Florida law.

However, the latest completion rate exceeds Florida’s 2022-23 high school graduation rate, which set the previous record.

“Florida’s graduation rate continues to climb,” said Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny D Jr., a former Republican state representative from Hialeah.

“Florida is number one for education because of our commitment to providing a quality education that fits the needs of each student, and our climbing graduation rate is proof positive that our approach is working. Under the leadership of Gov. DeSantis, Florida will continue to lead the nation in educational success.”

Several key components and demographics in Florida schools showed notable improvements.

African American students’ graduation rates improved by 2.1 percentage points over the previous year, following a trend since 2018.

The Florida high school graduation rate for Black students increased from 81.5 percent in 2018-19, 82 percent in 2020-2021 and 83.2 percent in 2022-23.

The overall graduation rate for 2023 was 89.7 percent with Blacks students’ rate at 86.4 percent.

Hispanic students saw an annual increase in graduation rates by 2.2 percent.

Economically disadvantaged students saw a jump in graduation rates by 2.4 percentage points over the previous year.

Students with disabilities also fared better, increasing annual graduation rates by 1.3 percentage points.

English language students graduated at a rate of 4.6 percentage points better than the previous year.

In addition to Florida’s highest graduation rate, DeSantis announced the state has surpassed 500,000 students participating in Florida’s school choice scholarship program.

More Blacks and Hispanics are enrolled in the scholarship program.

In addition, 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 in 2023.

“Florida is the number one 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.”

In 2023, DeSantis signed House Bill 1 (HB 1), which created the universal school choice.

The bill eliminated financial eligibility restrictions and the enrollment cap for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options.

The legislation 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.

Also, the bill 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.

For decades, Florida has led the nation in providing school choice options for students and families.

Diaz said the programs are key for students to get the best educational opportunities there are.

“I am proud to see how many Florida families we are helping through school choice programs,” said Diaz.