Even as campuses closed and traditional graduation ceremonies were called off, a record number of Palm Beach County high school seniors earned diplomas last year – aided in part by the statewide cancelation of standardized tests.
The graduation rate rose to 90% for the first time both for the county’s public high schools and for the state overall, newly released state figures show.
The county’s graduation rate of 90.2% was more than three points higher than the previous year and nearly eight points higher than four years beforehand.
While graduation rates have risen significantly over the past decade, state officials said last year’s jump was due in large part to the canceling of mandatory state exams as the coronavirus began to rage across Florida.