School board member urges local action as Lantana reading and math scores lag district

Edwin Ferguson, the Palm Beach County School Board member for District 7, told the Lantana Town Council on Jan. 27 that kindergarten readiness in the district is improving but that some Lantana schools remain below district averages in English and math.

Ferguson presented a slide deck and asked residents to scan a QR code to download the data he referenced. "Our kindergarten readiness scores for our children here in Lantana actually continues to improve," he said, while noting that across English, science and math "everything else is either flatlined or, at least in relation to the prior two years ... are diminishing." He said the district average for kindergarten readiness is about 45% and that Lantana sits slightly below that mark.

Ferguson also pointed to a district graduation rate he said is near 98% and highlighted gains for Black students, saying the county is now outpacing state averages on some measures. He recommended more local engagement — including forming an education foundation or committee — and gave practical tools for parents, such as Dolch-word lists and embedded hyperlinks to instructional materials. "These things really do pay benefits in terms of making sure that a greater number of our children are ready for kindergarten," he said.

Council members asked how charter and choice schools affect the local data; Ferguson said the slide deck's figures do not include choice programs and offered to have district staff (including the choice‑program lead and a data analyst) provide a deeper breakdown if council requests it. He encouraged local partnerships with schools and suggested the council consider reviving or forming an Ed committee to coordinate resident support.

Ferguson closed by urging residents to take advantage of district resources and to press principals for deeper explanations where local scores lag, saying that improved local involvement can help raise proficiency rates."