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by Fox 49 Staff
LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis marked the start of the 2026-27 school year in Lehigh Acres by promoting Florida’s education policies and pointing to student performance gains, teacher pay investments and national rankings he said show the state’s continued leadership in education.
“We’ve led the way to champion policies that expand opportunities for students, strengthen workforce education, support great teachers, and ensure every child has access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success in life,” DeSantis said. “As students across the state get ready to go back to school, we wish them a successful year ahead. We appreciate the parents, educators, and school leaders whose dedication to students is leaving them better prepared than ever, and we will keep working to ensure that the best days for education in Florida are still ahead.”
Education Commissioner Henry Mack said the state is focused on building on recent progress.
“Education changes the trajectory of a child's life. Every classroom, every lesson, every parent, and every educator help shape opportunities that extend far beyond the next grade level or graduation,” Mack said. “As we begin this school year, we remain committed to building on our successes and strengthening Florida’s education system as a national model of excellence—challenging students to reach their highest potential, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to succeed in their future careers, and preparing them to make meaningful contributions to Florida and the United States as productive citizens.”
DeSantis said the state will continue investing in teachers, expanding educational opportunities through school choice, strengthening workforce education and ensuring students are prepared for success in college, career and life.
He also highlighted what he described as historic student achievement gains, saying that for the first time more than 60% of Florida students are performing on or above grade level in both English language arts and mathematics. Since 2023, student performance on Florida’s progress monitoring assessments has increased in both English language arts and mathematics, according to the information released with the event.
DeSantis pointed to teacher pay funding as another major focus. Since 2019, Florida has invested more than $7 billion through the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation to raise teacher pay, the release said. Over that period, Florida’s average starting teacher salary increased from $40,000 to $50,200. The 2026-27 budget includes $1.56 billion for teacher salary increases, including $200 million dedicated to raising salaries for experienced teachers with at least 10 years of service in Florida public schools.
The governor’s office also cited several national rankings for Florida, including No. 1 in education for two of the last three years; No. 1 in education freedom by The Heritage Foundation for four consecutive years; No. 1 on the Parent Power Index by the Center for Education Reform for four years in a row; No. 1 on the ALEC Index of State Education Freedom and the only state to receive an A-plus rating this year; No. 1 on Lightcast’s 2025 Talent Attraction Scorecard for three consecutive years; No. 1 in higher education by U.S. News & World Report since the rankings began in 2017; No. 1 in workforce education; and No. 1 on The Center for Education Reform Scorecard for three consecutive years, a state-by-state evaluation of charter school legislation.
2026 Sinclair, Inc.
DeSantis touts Florida education policies at start of 2026-27 school year in Lehigh Acres – WEAR-TV
