LEESBURG, Fla. — Leesburg High School Principal Michael Randolph has a lot to smile about lately. He and his team of faculty handed out diplomas to a record-breaking number of graduates this May. In the seven years since Randolph took the helm, the school’s graduation rate has surged from 67 percent to 88.9 percent, exceeding the state’s average and setting a new high for the Lake County school.

The transformation, however, was far from immediate. When Randolph assumed leadership in 2017, Leesburg High was struggling with serious challenges. Disciplinary referrals exceeded 3,000 annually, and the campus was more infamous for its fights and drug issues than for academic achievement. There used to even be a dedicated twitter page to fights at Leesburg High. Sudents being absent plagued the school and changes needed to be made.

(Leesburg High has gone from a 67% graduation rate to 88.9% in just a matter of 7 years. Randolph hopes to get that to 90% a number he didn’t think possible many years ago.)

“Our perception in the community was pretty bad, and honestly, we had earned it. But the goal from day one was changing the perception of what people thought about Leesburg High and that started on day one when I arrived at the school. I knew it had so much potential.”

Determined to change the narrative, Randolph launched an ambitious plan to overhaul the school’s culture and boost student success. One of the central strategies was a social media campaign dubbed “#180daysofjoy,” where Randolph has posted daily updates about positive developments at Leesburg High. This effort helped reshape the public image of the school. It’s even helps our magazine find stories about students and projects going on at the school.

(Principal Randolph can often be seen around the school at various events. You can certainly catch him every Friday night at the school football games.)

At the same time, Randolph and his team implemented a series of initiatives to tackle the root causes of low graduation rates and high absenteeism. Recognizing that many students faced economic hardships—80 percent of Leesburg’s 1,775 students are classified as economically disadvantaged—the school has worked very hard to make sure every student has the resources to be successful no matter what economic hardship they face.

“We had to understand the realities our students were facing,” Randolph said. “We started an alternative way for students to learn online even if they are absent and we had success with that program with about 10 percent of the school taking part in that in 2023/2024.” The parents have also bought into what is going on at Leesburg High. It’s been great to see people positive about the programs offered including the Cambridge AICE courses which allow students to graduate with credits they can put towards a degree.

(A packed Leesburg High grandstand watches as students make their way in for graduation this past May.)

The results have been remarkable: a 20 percent increase in the graduation rate and a similar rise in enrollment over the past seven years. Today, Leesburg High stands as a model for turnaround success, with its students’ achievements eclipsing the struggles of the past. Leesburg High is not just on the mend academically but athletically there is work going into athletics programs. The track around the football field was painted this year, the football and basketball teams are in good shape and the softball field is getting upgrades. Randolph hopes to achieve a 90% graduation rate which is his next goal. It’s something that no one thought was possible, not even himself as he approaches his 8th full year of being Leesburg High’s principal.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but seeing our students cross that stage makes it all worth it. We’re not just handing out diplomas—we’re changing lives.” says Randolph.

Photo Credit – Leesburg High