The Florida Department of Education released district graduation rates on Jan. 6, with Santa Rosa County School District holding steady at 90.3%
Rates for Santa Rosa’s district, as well other districts in the state, have risen significantly in the past 15 years.”The Santa Rosa County School District has increased the student graduation rate by 3.9% since 2016-17,” said Dr. Karen Barber, superintendent for Santa Rosa County District Schools. “I am so proud of our students for their perseverance and commitment to their education during the pandemic. Increasing our graduation rate and preparing our students to graduate from high school prepared for college and career is our highest priority.”
Florida’s graduation rate is 90.1%, however that doesn’t mean that 9.9% of the state’s students are dropouts. The graduation rate measures the percentage of students who graduate within four years of their first two enrollment in ninth grade. Non-graduates include students who have been retained and are still in school, are attending adult education, have received certificates of completion, or have received GED-based diplomas. Florida’s federal graduation rate in 2018-19, the most recent data available, was ranked #20 in the nation (tied with Indiana and Kansas).
