January 13, 2025
Mount Dora High School Achieves 99% Graduation Rate, Highest In School History
By Kyle Coppola
Mount Dora High School Achieves 99% Graduation Rate, Highest In School History
MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Mount Dora High School has achieved a 99% graduation rate for the 2023-2024 school year, the highest rate in school history. The rate marks a 2% increase from the previous year’s 97%. The 99% graduation rate is also the #1 graduation rate in Lake County. This is a huge accomplishment for the school.
(Principal Marlene Straughan was a big reason for the recent success at Mount Dora High and that continues under new principal Kyle Bracewell.)
The achievement builds on the work of former principal Marlene Straughan, who led the school for several years before assuming the role of Regional Executive Director for Region 1 with Lake County Schools. Straughan’s initiatives helped lay the groundwork for sustained improvement at Mount Dora High and her initiatives paid off in a big way.
She was succeeded last year by Principal Kyle Bracewell, who has carried the torch seamlessly. “This milestone is a testament to the incredible dedication of our students, faculty, and staff,” Bracewell said. “It shows what’s possible when a community rallies behind its schools.”
(Mount Dora High School has come a long way the past decade. This is the highest graduation rate in school history.)
Mount Dora High has not only excelled academically but has also seen significant strides in extracurricular activities. The school’s football team qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in a decade and many other programs within the school are helping students find work after graduating. Students are also encouaged to find a trade or go into the military upon graduation.
The school’s success highlights its commitment to fostering a well-rounded student body. Faculty and staff have worked collaboratively to ensure students are supported both in and out of the classroom.
We want to send a big congratulations to all the teachers, faculty, students and parents for helping Mount Dora High achieve these amazing numbers. Well done! Go Hurricanes!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
