- April 26, 2024
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Both the Flagler and Volusia County school districts exceeded the state's 2022 high school graduation rate, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Flagler Schools Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt said she is encouraged by the district’s 2022 graduation rate, according to a district press release. Volusia County Schools Superintendent Carmen Balgobin said “it is with great pride that I share Volusia County Schools has exceeded the state average.”
The Florida Department of Education announced the state's 2022 graduation rates on Friday, Jan. 13. The overall graduation rate in the state was 87.3%, which was down 2.8% from 2021 but still exceeded the pre-pandemic rate (86.9% in 2019). In 2020 and 2021, graduating classes were exempt from standardized assessment requirements.
The rate in Flagler for the 2022 class was 90.5%, while the Volusia rate was 88.9%.
Like the statewide rate, both districts' graduation rates declined from the previous year. Flagler's rate dipped slightly from 2021, when it was 91.2%. Volusia's rate (91.9% in 2021) dropped three percentage points.
“I look at the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic results,” Mittelstadt said. “The fact that our students have been able to exceed the state average in the face of all the challenges is a credit to them, our teachers and administrators.”
While Volusia's rate declined from a year ago, the county had the highest three-year graduation rate increase within the Central Florida Coalition of school districts, according to a district press release. Volusia's rate increased 4.4 percentage points from the pre-Covid rate of 84.5% in 2019.
“Our purpose as an organization is to ensure that our students graduate with the skills necessary to be successful,” Balgobin said in Volusia's press release. “This is not just a high school achievement. All schools, administrators, teachers and staff that serve all students contributed to this success. I thank them for their hard work to get us here. Congratulations to them all.”
While the state average increased by just 1% from five years ago (86.1%), Volusia's rate jumped 10 percentage points (78.7% in 2018) and Flagler's rate improved by nearly three percentage points (88% in 2018).
“We should be proud of the work to get our district in this position,” Mittelstadt said in Flagler's press release. “But we cannot rest now. This is a great first step as we continue to elevate excellence and create one of the top school districts in the state.”
Statewide, graduation rates rose 28.1 percentage points since 2004, when the statewide rate was 59.2%, according to the DOE. The graduation rates, as required by federal regulations, include standard diplomas but exclude GEDs and special diplomas.
