Beginning this week students from all over Central Florida will be ending their summer vacation and heading back to school. Some students will be starting their first day of kindergarten, an exciting time for parents and children alike. But, how many of these new kindergarteners will actually stay in school and receive their high school diploma?

Through the Information Collection phase of the myregion.org project, we have gathered information regarding the statistics of high school graduates in the Central Florida Region. As you can see, this map (click map to enlarge) portrays the breakdown of our region’s attainment of a high school diploma. According to the 1990 Census, 75.2% of Americans 25 years and older attained at least a high school diploma. Florida is slightly behind the national average with 74.4%. Throughout our region attainment statistics vary among the seven counties, with the coastal areas of Florida having a higher percentage. While Brevard County has the highest high school graduation rate in the entire state (86.8%), it averages 82.3% in attainment for persons 25 years and older. Across the region, Polk County has one of the lowest attainment rates at 60%. The other counties stack up as follows, Seminole 84.6%, Orange 78.8%, Volusia 75.4%, Osceola 73.7% and Lake 70.6%. Why does Central Florida Region have such a large variation in high school attainment statistics? How do we make significant improvements in Polk County while maintaining consistency in the other six Central Florida counties? How can we compete with Massachusetts which has the highest high school diploma attainment rate in the nation at 80%?

Education is an issue affecting everyone in Central Florida, the nation and the global marketplace. It is often said, “it takes a village to raise a child.” The education system helps to mold the future of our nation. Seminole County Public Schools puts it best with their Mission Statement, “to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be successful in adult life.” With their Mission clearly stated and help from the community, the students who are just beginning their education in Central Florida will be able to attain a high school diploma and much, much more.

This is just one of the issues myregion.org hopes to address through the research and analysis of the Central Florida region. For more information please visit www.myregion.org or call Shelley Lauten, Project Director at 407-835-2449 or Toll-free 1-800-900-5315.