The big story: Florida reported its highest ever high school graduation rate for the 2023-24 academic year at 89.7%, continuing a string of increases interrupted only by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pasco County led the state’s largest districts, with a 95.5% graduation rate, with other big districts including Pinellas, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach also exceeding the statewide rate.
State and local officials cheered the news, saying Florida students have met the state’s high expectations as they prepare for college and careers.
Some observers raised questions about the data, though, noting that the state has allowed teens to use credit recovery programs and alternate exams to make themselves eligible for a diploma. Read more here.
Hot topics
University trustees: Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his appointee to the University of West Florida board of trustees who has faced criticism over comments seen as derogatory to women, The Floridian reports. When the board next meets, it will mark the first time in five years it will have a full membership, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.
Security: Broward County school employees will begin wearing badges with emergency panic buttons starting in August, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
School choice: DeSantis held a news conference to tout Florida’s school choice system as a national model, WJXT reports. More than 500,000 Florida students are using education vouchers, WMFE reports.
New schools: The Columbia County school district will replace an aging elementary school with a brand new building in the fall, using local sales tax revenue to cover the cost, WCJB reports.
Current events: Teachers in Florida and other states are finding it difficult to figure out how to teach their children about president-elect Donald Trump’s immigration plans, NBC News reports.
Charter schools: Sarasota County is experiencing growth in its charter school landscape, the Herald-Tribune reports.
Bus schedules: The Lee County school district is getting positive feedback for its proposal to alter its bus schedules and school start times, Cape Coral Breeze reports. The plan for 2025-26 does not address state law to shift high schools to start at 8:30 a.m. or later by August 2026.
From the police blotter … A St. Lucie County teen was arrested on allegations of bringing a loaded gun to school, TC Palm reports. • A Miami-Dade County teacher was arrested on accusations of hitting a five-year-old student with a ruler, WTVJ reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to Friday’s roundup.
Before you go … For your entertainment and edification, a quick jazz lesson on “Coltrane’s Changes” from Vox.