Hillsborough schools mark highest graduation rate in district history at 90.9%
Summary
Superintendent Ayers announced a 90.9% graduation rate for 2024–25 (a 2.9 point increase) and the board recognized award-winning teachers and staff; the district highlighted subgroup gains and community partnerships.
Superintendent Ayers told the board that Hillsborough County Public Schools achieved a 90.9% four-year high school graduation rate for the 2024–25 school year, a 2.9 percentage-point increase over the prior year and the highest rate in district history. He said subgroup improvements included a 6.6 percentage-point jump for Black students and a 2.8-point increase for Hispanic students.
The meeting included multiple recognitions: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-supported 'Bucs Best Crew' program highlighted outstanding teachers and staff; the Hillsborough Education Foundation and Glazer family presented monthly awards; and the district named instructional-support and teacher-of-the-year winners (Mary Torres Serrazzo, Shay Counts, Christy Atkinson). Superintendent Ayers also recognized magnet schools receiving national merit awards and highlighted student competitions and extracurricular achievements.
Board members and community representatives praised the gains and thanked award recipients. The superintendent previewed a new district podcast intended to share stories from schools and announced small incentives and trophies for winter-break reading challenge winners.
