TAVARES — Nearly 43,000 students are expected to report to Lake County Schools classrooms on Monday, Aug. 11, to kick off the 2025-26 school year.
Here’s what’s new:
A-rating: Lake is starting the school year as an A-rated district for the first time since 2008! Lake students showed improvements in all tested areas, and the district more than doubled the number of schools that earned an “A” for the 2024-25 school year compared to the year before. In 2023-24, three district-operated Lake Schools earned an A. In 2024-25, seven did. The A-rated district operated schools for 2024-25 are Cypress Ridge, Treadway, and Villages of Lady Lake elementary schools; East Ridge Middle; East Ridge and Mount Dora high schools, and Lake Virtual School.
New schools: The district has two new schools opening this year. Minneola Horizon Academy in Minneola will offer a full K-8 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program specific to engineering and coding. Fruitland Park Elementary School will welcome students into a new building that replaces the 100-year-old facility where the students attended school last year. Beverly Shores Elementary students will move into the old Fruitland Park school while renovations and upgrades are made on their campus.
Transportation app: Lake County parents this year will have access to a new app that the district is using to streamline student transportation communications. The My Ride K-12 mobile app will make it easy for parents to locate bus route information and message the transportation staff with questions, concerns, and feedback. It is available for download on Apple and Android devices. Parents are urged to register all bus riders – even those who were bus riders in previous years – at https://myridek12.tylerapp.com/ and to download the app at the links below.
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-ride-k-12/id6443848115
Google Play Store: https://tinyurl.com/myridek-12
Lincoln Park Phase 2: Last year, the district opened Lincoln Park Education Center, which houses a flexible day high school program that allows students to earn their high school diploma while holding a job. Phase 2 of the project started this summer, with Lake Technical College beginning renovations to the site’s pre-existing gym. It will be converted this year into an innovative space that will house several technical programs, such as HVAC, advanced manufacturing, and electrical. These are just the start of the workforce programs that will be available on-site for students who want to dual enroll at Lincoln Park and Lake Tech to earn valuable industry certifications.
ESE training site: Lake Hills School will serve as a model site for hands-on training as part of Lake-Sumter State College’s new Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program, which the State Board of Education approved in June. The program is designed to address the need for certified ESE teachers in Lake and Sumter Counties.
Cell phone law: As with other schools across the state, schools in Lake will implement the new Florida law that restricts the use of cell phones in all elementary and middle schools during the instructional day unless permission is granted by the teacher for instructional purposes. High school cell phone usage is also limited during instructional time, with greater flexibility at lunch and other non-academic times.
Also, students will continue to be served breakfast and lunch at no charge under the National School Lunch/School Breakfast Program. For a full list of applicable schools, please see the article at this link.
The instructional day is scheduled for 7:20 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. for high schools, 8:20 a.m. to 3 p.m. for K-8 schools, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for elementary schools, and 9:20 a.m. to 4 p.m. for middle schools. Exceptions include:
Rimes Early Learning and Literary Center – 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Academy at Lake Hills, Howey and Mascotte – 8:15 a.m to 2:45 p.m.
Lake Success Academy – 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Charter school and private school hours may differ.