The Santa Rosa County School District reports having an improved graduation rate of 83.2 percent for the 2014-2015 school year, which is a .4 percent point increase from the previous school year. Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick reports this is the fifth consecutive year the rate has increased for the county.
“Moving a graduation rate every year requires a committed focus by parents, teachers, school board members and administrators,” Wyrosdick said in a press release. “The educators in Santa RosaCounty represent a committed group of professionals constantly focused on serving students.”
Wyrosdick said attaining a 100 percent graduation rate is “achievable.”
“(We) will continue to align curriculum and manage the classroom until each student in Santa RosaCounty graduates and can successfully move to the next level of career preparation,” he said. “Graduating from high school represents the key to unlock many doors. A diploma represents an open gate to career and life advancement.”
Chair of the School Board, Jennifer Granse attributes the increasing rate to the students and the hard work of educators.
“This is what we work for as educators,” Granse said. “To provide a high quality education for our students that is relevant to the world of work and post-secondary advancement.”
Neighboring Escambia County also witnessed an increased graduation rate with 72.7 percent, which is an 6.6 percentage point increase over the last year and 15 percentage points since 2010-11. Santa RosaCounty had 5.4 percentage points in the 2010-11 school year.
Florida as a whole witnessed a 12-year high, according to the Florida Department of Education. The state’s graduation rate climbed to 77.8 percent, a 1.7 percentage point increase from last year, and 18 percentage points since 2003-04.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Graduation rates continue to rise for Santa Rosa County