SWFL.io - Local NewsReporter: Brinkley Hill
•8/6/2026
LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (WINK) — Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off the new school year in Southwest Florida, highlighting Florida's top national education rankings and announcing historic investments in teacher pay and school safety.
SEE ALSO: DeSantis passes 2 education bills affecting teacher unions, school pay
Speaking at Tortuga Preserve Elementary School, DeSantis said Florida has been ranked number one in education freedom for four consecutive years and number one in education overall in two of the last three years. The state has also earned the only A-plus rating for state education freedom and ranks first in public higher education and workforce education.
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"We can say that we have been ranked number one in education freedom four consecutive years, number one in education overall two of the last three years," DeSantis said.
The governor emphasized Florida's universal school choice program, which now serves more than 530,000 students through scholarships, 408,000 students in charter schools and 150,000 homeschool students. Within school districts alone, approximately 1.6 million students attend a school other than their neighborhood school.
"School districts know they got to compete for parents," DeSantis said. "Parents have options, and you need to provide options."
DeSantis announced that 76% of all Florida schools earned an A or B grade in the 2025-26 school year, a 5% increase from the previous year. Florida also achieved a record-breaking 92.2% high school graduation rate, and for the first time ever, more than 60% of students are performing at or above grade level in both English language arts and mathematics.
The state's progress monitoring system, implemented in 2023, has contributed to significant improvements. Since its implementation, the percentage of students scoring on or above grade level in English language arts increased by 12 percentage points, from 49% to 61%. In mathematics, there was a nine-percentage-point improvement, from 53% to 62%.
"Progress monitoring has worked," DeSantis said. "It's getting us the information we need to make sure standards are upheld, but it's also providing a way for students to remedy any deficiencies."
The governor highlighted $7 billion in state investment for teacher salaries since he took office, raising the average minimum salary from $39,000 to over $50,000. The current budget includes $1.56 billion for teacher pay, with $200 million specifically designated for salary increases for teachers with 10 years or more of experience.
"There's never been that much money in Florida history that's been dedicated to teacher salaries," DeSantis said.
DeSantis also announced more than $3 billion in investments for school safety and security since the 2018 Parkland school massacre. Every public school campus in Florida now has at least one school safety officer, and the state has expanded its School Guardian program, which allows trained staff members to carry concealed weapons on campus.
The governor introduced Florida's new Education Commissioner, Dr. Henry Mack, who previously served as assistant secretary for labor in the Trump administration and as chancellor for workforce in Florida.
"Where Florida goes, so goes the nation," Mack said. "Florida has led on registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships."
Lee County Superintendent Denise Carlin announced that the district earned its highest point total in a decade last school year, with 29 schools improving a letter grade and several jumping two letter grades. The district now has no D or F schools for the first time in years.
"We want to be an A school district, and we are marching our way steadily toward that work," Carlin said.
Tortuga Preserve Elementary improved from a D to a B grade, while Gateway High School earned an A in only its sixth year of operation. Fort Myers High and Cypress Lake High School both climbed from a B to an A.
Lee County also posted its highest graduation rate in district history at 89.8%, with traditional public high schools achieving a 95.3% graduation rate.