TAMPA, Fla. — Florida set a record in education with a 92.2% graduation rate for the 2024-25 school year, which is the highest in state history. Hillsborough County Schools is also celebrating a new record with a 90.9% graduation rate. The superintendent, Van Ayres, says it’s a huge accomplishment and breaks all previous records. 

What You Need To Know

Florida set a state record in education with a 92.2% graduation rate for the 2024-2025 school year

Hillsborough County Schools is also celebrating a new record with a 90.9% graduation rate

Other record-breaking districts in Tampa Bay included Pinellas with 93.4%, Citrus County with 94.1%, Pasco with 96.9% and Sarasota County schools with a 94.3% graduation rate

“When we began this journey, we had a 70% graduation rate in Hillsborough County, so the goal of 90 seemed so far away, and so we just kept working at it, working at it,” said Ayres.

He says that reaching a 90.9% graduation rate certainly didn’t happen overnight; it took about 10 years, and it is the result of a strategic plan.

“We’ve been very intentional about every decision we make between juniors and seniors getting free ACT/SAT testing … we have graduation meetings where we’re meeting with schools, tracking students to make sure they’re on track, we’ve just been very, very intentional,” said Ayres.

Part of the plan to get students to graduation included tracking their progress and intervening early if they veered off course, and implementing a Graduation Task Force that worked with students and families directly. 

In addition to Hillsborough County, record-breaking districts in Tampa Bay included Pinellas with 93.4%, Citrus County with 94.1%, Pasco with 96.9% and Sarasota County schools with a 94.3% graduation rate.

Polk County Schools, and Manatee County Schools have the lowest graduation rates in the Tampa Bay Area with 87.7% in Polk, and 87.6% in Manatee.

Ayres says that with more rigorous benchmarks than ever before, districts are focusing more on reaching each and every student.

“We’ve just been very, very intentional where I think in the past, and many years back, you might not have seen that intentionality behind graduation rate and making sure students are walking across that stage,” he said.

Ayres said that in Hillsborough County, they’ve also focused on making sure every student is college or career-ready when they graduate, and not trying to force students all into one box.