AFPF-FL National School Choice Week LIVE finale event featured CRHS Biomedical and EMT Program

To round out celebrating AFPF-FL National School Choice Week, on Saturday, January 30, Citrus County Schools was asked to participate in the AFPF-FL National School Choice Week LIVE finale event. I was asked to lead a panel segment about the Crystal River High School Academy of Health Career’s BioMedical program and the Phil Royal EMT program. I was joined by Academy BioMedical instructor Ms. Danielle Doherty Koch, College of Central Florida Professor of Emergency Medical Services Rodney McGinnes, and BioMedical and EMT student/senior Ethan Vincent.

We all were most excited to share about these programs, their rigor, the valuable training, and certifications these unique programs offer. We also want to thank our program partners especially the College of Central and their Emergency Medical Services division who provide our onsite high school campus national EMT certification program.

Thank you to Americans for Prosperity Foundation Florida and Lee Dury for the opportunity to include us in the finale and a segment earlier in the week.  I also want to thank the Florida School Board Association for participating in the AFPF-FL National School Choice Week and for other school board members and educators that share about their local choice programs and schools.

Watch the Facebook video by click on the link. Our segment begins at the 2:10.15 mark – https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=442154956823714&ref=watch_permalink&t=7818   

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Citrus Schools spotlighted during AFPF-FL National School Choice Week

I was honored and grateful to Americans for Prosperity Foundation – Florida to have the opportunity to share about Citrus County School and some of our different choice academies and programs as part of AFPF-FL National School Choice Week.

AFPF-FL National School Choice Week Interview with Thomas Kennedy, Citrus County School Board

VIDEO Interview – https://photos.app.goo.gl/GsXqstkqiixMhqKG7

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High school grad rates up again, but there is even more to celebrate

District’s program completion rate is 94.6%; 39 Citrus County students graduate due to FL DOE special exemptions

This past week Florida’s 2019-20 Federal Uniform Graduation rate data was released at http://bit.ly/22IVwOJ. The results showed that Florida’s statewide graduation rate has risen once again and that Citrus County Schools are now at a 17-year high of 87.1%. While this is a reason to celebrate, there is even more to share and celebrate.

It is important to understand that the Federal Uniform Graduation rate is not the full graduation and high school completion rate. It only gives the rate for students that graduated in 4-years with a standard Florida high school diploma. It does not include students that graduated in the summer after graduation, those who earned their G.E.D., vocational transfer students, or other graduates.

Florida’s statewide graduation rate climbed to 90 percent, an increase of 30.5 percentage points since 2003-04 and 3.1 percentage points over last year.  Citrus County rose to 87.1 and 1.1 percentage points from the previous year, 2018-19.  Citrus County’s average rate includes our three public high schools, CREST, Cypress Creek Detention Center, Renaissance Center, E-Nini Hassee, and the former Citrus MYcroSchool Charter School.

Crystal River High School’s Federal Uniform Graduation rate climbed to 89.7 percent, an impressive 2.0 percentage points higher from 2018-19. Citrus High School’s graduation rate was maintained at 92 percent.  Lecanto High School’s graduation rate was the highest at 93.1 percent. That is an average of 91.7 percent for our three traditional high schools.

I am also grateful that the Florida Department of Education and Commissioner Richard Corcoran provided special exemptions because of the COVID pandemic permitting the class of 2020 students to graduate pausing some of the state assessment requirements. In Citrus County, 39 students (4%) from across our district received high school diplomas as a result. I am praying either the Florida legislature or FL-DOE/Commissioner Corcoran again provide exemptions for the class of 2021 students, pausing state assessment requirements for graduation.

While these Federal Uniform Graduation rates are encouraging, what I am even more proud of is our District’s programs’ “Completion Rate”.  As a District, and School Board, we do not simply focus on the Federal Uniform Graduation data– we look at the successful completion rate of all our students.  If you combine all of those rates for this past year, it was 94.6 percent, which includes GED-based diplomas (1.3%), certificates of completion (0.4%), still enrolled in school (4.5%), and those at transferred to an adult education program (1.4%).

These programs better represent all of our students’ completion work and are the true testament of the successes in our education community and with our students.

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