School system reports record-breaking graduation rate

Pinellas County Schools has set a new record for its high school graduation rate – 93.4% of qualified students graduated during the 2024-2025 academic year. 

This is about a two percentage point increase from the 2023-2024 school year, according to a Florida Department of Education report – which was released earlier this month. The district has also surpassed the state graduation rate by 1.2%. 

St. Petersburg-based Lakewood High School had a 95.3% graduation rate this past academic year. Principal Connisheia Garcia believes that early intervention and care are vital to supporting students. 

“Graduation doesn’t start in the 12th grade. It starts in the 9th grade,” she explained. “By focusing on making sure our foundation and core are strong, you can just maximize everything you’ve put in place in the 12th grade.” 

Garcia added that it’s important for students to know “that school is to be done with them not to them.” She has strived to make Lakewood attendees a part of the decision making process so that they can learn things that are of interest to them. 

Celebrating success is essential. As an example, Garcia said that Lakewood staff members recently held a pizza party for students who increased their scores on their Cycle 2 assessments. 

The goal is to create a “framework” that consistently recognizes progress. This can help increase attendance and motivation. “It’s not just students who always are going to meet that bar,” she explained. “It’s the students that you have to pull along.” 

Another example Garcia gave was Lakewood’s “vibe” room. If the adolescents meet certain expectations, they are able to go in the space during lunch and play video games and pool. 

“What I think we can continue to do is make the student experience the best it can be,” she said. “We want to make sure students have things that they enjoy so that they want to come to school.”

The school district introduced the Bridging the Gap plan during the 2015-2016 school year to help assist, according to a prepared statement. It identifies strategies, goals and action steps to support students.

During the 2024-2025 academic year, the graduation rate among Black students in the school district increased nearly 23 percentage points since the launch of the Bridging the Gap plan. 

Garcia said the program has been at the “forefront” at Lakewood High School. The institution’s population is almost 70% Black students. 

“We are making sure we have steps in place and safeguards,” she explained, “so they don’t fall into any types of gaps.” 

The school’s team also ensures that rigorous education courses are “supportive of all students.” 

Garcia is preparing Lakewood High School for an era of technological advancements. She said that while the institution has “embraced” technologies such as artificial intelligence, protective measures have been implemented. 

Balance is key. While attendees are allowed to use computers for certain assignments or projects, there are also times where their devices must be put away. This allows the teenagers to go “back to the basics,” Garcia explained. 

During state testing, the school also uses a safe browser that can ensure that the students do not cheat. Additionally, two teachers are present at every test site to monitor the environment.