Big week for education: Lake County Schools gets an 'A,' LTC gets grant for education center
It's been a milestone week for education in Lake County.
Notable achievements at Lake County Schools continue this week, following the school's recognition for marked improvement in core subjects.
For the first time since 2008, Lake County's public and charter schools have earned an “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education.
The grade, announced by the department July 8, is based on test scores from the 2024-25 school year.
“I am so proud of our teachers, administrators, support staff, and students for putting the 'A' in Lake again,” LCS Superintendent Diane Kornegay said in a press release. “We are going to build on this momentum and enter the new school year stronger than ever: focused, inspired, and committed to continued excellence.”
Lake students as a whole showed improvement in all tested areas: English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies. Among the most notable achievements was a 15% increase in Algebra 1 proficiency. Also noteworthy was a 7% increase in ELA in grades 9 and 10 and an overall increase in ELA of 4 percentage points.
Students also showed a 4% improvement on the civics end-of-course exam.
The district attributes its recent streak to a focus on teacher collaboration through its Professional Learning Teams, standards that define what a student should know and be able to do to achieve mastery, and data-driven instruction to identify and address learning gaps.
“This ‘A’ belongs to all of us, especially to our students who put in the hard work and kept their focus on academic achievement,” Kornegay added. “Congratulations, Lake County. We earned our A, a reflection of how we are elevating learning in Lake.”
Lake Technical College grant
Lake Technical College announced that the Florida Legislature has awarded it $4.9 million in funding to support Phase Two of the Lake Technical College Workforce Education Center South at Lake County Schools' flexible high school campus, the Lincoln Park Education Center.
The investment builds on the $4 million Capitalization Incentive Grant (CAP) previously awarded by the state of Florida for Phase One, which launched the initial expansion to promote career dual enrollment and workforce readiness in South Lake County.
A recent media release shared that Lake Technical College is experiencing record enrollment across its northern Lake County campuses.
"The Phase Two funding will allow LTC to continue expanding its high-demand workforce training programs into the southern region of the county to meet growing industry needs and student demand," the release said.
"This funding from the Florida Legislature is a transformative step forward in our mission to provide accessible, high-quality workforce education," said DeAnna Thomas, executive director of Lake Technical College. "We're grateful to our state and local partners who share our vision for preparing students for in-demand careers across Lake County."
The new Workforce Education Center South (and Lincoln Park Education Center) is located on the former Clermont Elementary School campus, spanning more than 50,000 square feet.
"With more than $10 million invested by Lake County Schools to renovate the high school space and $800,000 contributed by Lake County Government, the facility is a model of collaborative investment in workforce education and economic development," the school spokesperson reported, adding that the expansion will provide new classrooms and labs for training in critical sectors including health care, emergency medical services, semiconductor technology, architecture and construction, and information technology.
Academic services will include GED prep, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), industry certification testing through PearsonVue, and job readiness resources like resume writing and interview preparation.
"LTC's programs consistently deliver results, boasting an 89% program completion rate, a 91% job placement rate, and a 98% licensure pass rate," the media release claimed.
More than 30 workforce programs are offered, many of which can be completed in one year or less.
"This expansion represents more than just additional classroom and lab space — it is a gateway to opportunity for thousands of individuals and a catalyst for economic growth in our region," Thomas said.
Also, this week, Fred Griffin Jr., president of the West Leesburg Community Development Corporation, called attention to specific school achievements, "to take a moment and brag on our District 2 schools."
Here's what he posted on Facebook this week:
- "Treadway Elementary School gained 85 total points and JUMPED from a C to an A, THE ONLY TRADITIONAL SCHOOL IN LAKE TO INCREASE TWO LETTER GRADES
- The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake gained 48 total points and increased from a B to an A for the first time since 2019
- Beverly Shores Elementary School gained 100 total points, THE MOST OF ANY TRADITIONAL SCHOOL IN LAKE, and earned a B for the first time since 2009, two percentage points from an A
- Leesburg High School gained 42 total points with significant achievement increases in ELA, math, science, and maintained a 91% graduation rate
- Oak Park Middle School gained 26 total points with significant achievement increases in ELA, math, science, and social studies
- Fruitland Park Elementary School gained 13 total points with significant achievement in science while maintaining in ELA and math
- Leesburg Elementary School increased 3rd Grade reading achievement and had significant gains in science
- Carver Middle School increased in ELA and had significant gains in social studies"
For more information about Lake Technical College and its programs, visit laketech.org. For info on Lake County Schools, visit lake.k12.fl.us