DeSantis cites 92.2% graduation rate, pushes school-choice and teacher-pay initiatives
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Summary
The governor highlighted a reported 92.2% high-school graduation rate for 2024–25, described expanded school-choice options and said the state has dedicated nearly $6 billion toward raising teacher pay.
Governor Ron DeSantis used his address to emphasize education reforms and funding enacted during his tenure.
DeSantis said Florida moved from capped school-choice options to a system he described as universal school choice and called the state the national leader in "parental empowerment." He announced that "the high school graduation rate for the 2024–25 school year was 92.2 percent," which he called the highest in state history.
The governor said the state replaced some high-stakes testing with progress monitoring and established a dedicated provision in the education budget to raise teacher salaries, asserting Florida now has the highest average minimum teacher salary in the Southeast and that the administration has provided nearly $6 billion toward teacher compensation efforts.
On curriculum and campus policy, DeSantis said the state eliminated DEI policies in public higher education, pursued accreditation reforms and authorized removal of poorly performing tenured professors. He also referenced expanded civics, speech and debate programs and listed a teacher bill of rights and limits on classroom phone use among K–12 reforms.
DeSantis attributed these changes to improved outcomes and urged legislators to pass additional bills supporting the education agenda.
