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Graduation Rate in Hillsborough Schools Climbs for Fifth Consecutive Year

Education | Graduation | Graduation Rate

State data show the Hillsborough School District’s graduation rate for 2018-2019  is 86.2 percent, an increase from the prior year and an all-time record high.

TAMPA – Students in Hillsborough County Public Schools are continuing to get better jobs, with higher wages, after graduation – by earning high school diplomas at a record rate for five straight years.

The state on Thursday (Jan. 9) released graduation rates for 2018-2019 and Hillsborough students showed gains – for the fifth year in a row – pushing the district’s graduation rate to 86.2 percent, an increase from the prior year and an all-time record high.

Five facts about five years of growth:

  • The district’s graduation rate has risen 12.7 percentage points over five years.
  • Middleton High School students have increased their graduation rate by more than 29 percentage points over five years – an astounding figure.
  • The district’s achievement gaps continue to close – ensuring more students have access to post-secondary opportunities such as universities, technical colleges and the workforce.
  • The African American students have increased their graduation rate to 79.8 percent, up 19.8 percentage points since 2014.
  • 893 more students than last year earned a high school diploma – contributing to five straight years of steady growth in the number of diplomas awarded by the district.

This increase also benefits the community and local businesses. Students who graduate with a high school diploma earn $380,000 more during their lifetimes compared to students who do not graduate – translating to a $2.5 billion dollar boost to the local community over the past five years.

The Hillsborough district’s 27 traditional high schools have a graduation rate of 91.3 percent, an 11.7 percentage point increase from 79.6 percent five years ago (this number excludes alternative schools, charter schools and career centers). This is the third consecutive year the traditional high schools have an 80 percent or higher graduation rate.

Some of the more notable highlights of the 2019 graduation rate include:

  • Newsome High School has the district’s highest graduation rate at 98.7 percent.
  • Plant City High School had the highest one-year graduation rate increase in 2019, jumping 3.6 percentage points to 96.8 percent.
  • Hillsborough High School increased its graduation rate by 3.1 percentage points to 90.2 percent – the highest ever for this school

“I am so proud of our students, teachers and staff for their determination, which has now led to increasing our graduation rate for the fifth time in as many years,” schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins said. “What is amazing is that our dedicated staff is making it happen with more students coming through our doors. Just five years ago, our district was graduating about 10,000 students a year. This past year, our district graduated 14,231 students, putting them on a path for a bright future.”

Graduation rates continue to be a top priority for the school board. Since Eakins took the helm of Hillsborough County Public Schools, the graduation rate has steadily climbed from 73.5 percent in 2013-2014, to 76 percent in 2014-2015, to 79.1 percent in 2015-2016, to 82.9 percent in 2016-2017, 85.8 percent in 2017-2018, and 86.2 percent in 2018-2019.

As the seventh largest school district in the nation and the largest employer in Hillsborough County, the district’s more than 24,000 employees work together to fulfill our district’s vision of preparing students for life – supporting and guiding students toward graduation.

Hillsborough Schools | Education | Graduation Rate | Tampabay News | News Tampa

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