
Volusia County Schools reports a significant achievement in high-school graduation rates for the 2023-24 academic year. The graduation rate increased to 94 percent, up from 92 percent the previous year. This makes a 2-percentage-point increase and the second consecutive year of growth for the district.
Volusia County’s graduation rate is now 4 percentage points higher than the state average of 89.7 percent. VCS now ranks in the top 10 of the 67 school districts across the state, and ranks second within the Central Florida Coalition of school districts.
Some highlights in this data for 2023-24 include Deltona High School having a perfect graduation rate of 100 percent; Pine Ridge High School in Deltona had a 4.4-percentage-point increase from 93.4 percent in 2022-23 to 97.8 percent. Nine of the 10 district high schools saw improvements in their graduation rate.
Other highlights included white students increasing by 2.2 percentage points; Black students increasing by 1.9 percentage points; Hispanic students increasing by 3.1 percentage points; economically disadvantaged students increasing by 3 percentage points; and students with disabilities increasing by 2 percentage points.
Teacher of the Year
Jeremy Davies, a math teacher at Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, has been named the 2026 Volusia County Teacher of the Year. The naming of Davies took place at a special banquet Jan. 11 co-hosted by FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools and presented by AdventHealth. The other four finalists were Katie Evans of Citrus Grove Elementary in DeLand, Melissa Tse of Creekside Middle School in Port Orange, Shilpa Sharma of Galaxy Middle in Deltona, and Kelli Chehaitli of Tomoka Elementary in Ormond Beach.
Other honors announced at the banquet included the presentation of the three Empowering a Culture of Excellence Awards. Those honored with these awards were Tasney Thomas of Westside Elementary School in Daytona Beach, Shawnda Shaughnessy of Campbell Middle School in Daytona Beach, and Erica Negedly of New Smyrna Beach High School. Each was presented with a $150 check from FUTURES Foundation.
Davies was presented with the keys to a brand-new 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, to drive for the year, from Daytona Kia, Daytona Mitsubishi and Craig Conway’s team.
NEW BIKES; REDUCING TARDINESS AND ABSENTEEISM — Lillie’Ona Taylor and Amani Bennett, who attend Blue Lake Elementary School in DeLand, take ownership of new bicycles gifted from AdventHealth. The partnership between Volusia County Schools and AdventHealth benefits children who live within walking or biking distance from school, giving them a reliable means of transportation to get to school on time each day. From left are Volusia County Schools Chief Academic Officer Dr. Julio Nazario-Valle, President and CEO of AdventHealth operations in East Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns Counties David Weis, Volusia County Schools Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin, Lillie’Ona Taylor and her mom Keeona Taylor, Blue Lake Elementary Principal Holly Bailey, Amani Bennett and her dad Harold Bennett, Volusia County School Board Chair Jamie Haynes, AdventHealth Director of Community Benefit Debi McNabb, Volusia County Schools Executive Director for Student Services and Graduation Assurance Mike Micallef, and Volusia County School Board Member Ruben Colón.
Volusia County Schools
Volusia County Schools will be presenting an ESE Family Conference 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, in the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Mori Hosseini Student Union. Participants need to register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ESEfamily2025.
Free lunch will be provided to the first 200 who preregister. No child care will be provided, but children are welcome.
This is a resource fair with presentations, community connections and prizes. For more information, call 386-255-6475, ext. 33230.
A Tech Tools Webinar for parents and students will be presented by Volusia County Schools on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The webinar will explain how students access course schedules, grades and important announcements from their school.
The webinar will guide participants through the most common digital resources available to students. It will take place 6-7 p.m. for elementary students (K-5), and 7-8 p.m. for secondary students (6-12). The official link for the webinar will be provided closer to the date, so check back at www.vcsedu.org.
VCS Aspiring Leaders’ Academy Cohort is a program that is designed to help talented educators grow into strong leaders. Participants will spend the year learning, collaborating and building skills they need to take the next step in leadership development.
VCS has named 16 new participants, with eight of them from West Volusia: Timothy Akers and Racquel Bartolome of DeLand Middle School, Melissa Diamond of Orange City Elementary, Dantrell Johnson of Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, Valerie Millett of Citrus Grove Elementary in DeLand, Jami Monahan of the District Science Department, Esther Morse of the District ELA Department, and Khorletta Sutton Cressor of Deltona Middle School.
VCS and AdventHealth are teaming to tackle chronic absenteeism. To help the chronically absent get to school safely and reliably, 168 students are receiving bicycles and helmets. VCS has seen a 5-percentage-point reduction in chronic absenteeism compared to last year. The “All Day, Every Day” initiative program aims to help continue breaking attendance barriers.
VCS leadership visited St. Johns County School District to learn more about their programs and share ideas from prekindergarten to technical colleges and the Life Work Transition Program.
Starke Elementary School
The next School Advisory Council and PTA meeting at Starke Elementary School in DeLand will be at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30.
DeLand Middle School
DeLand Middle School had its first-ever One Book, One School reading adventure, “United by the Pages: A Terrier Reading Adventure.” The School Advisory Council provided 1,100 copies of the book The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by Taryn Souders, who is a local author. She was on hand for the kickoff of this one-of-a-kind literacy event along with guest readers, including DeLand Mayor Chris Cloudman, community members, DeLand High School student leadership, DeLand Sr. FFA, Citrus Grove Elementary School Principal Jennifer Williams and School Board Member Jamie M. Haynes of District 1.
DeLand High School
Anthony Morreale and Maddie Owens, juniors in the Communications Academy at DeLand High School and students of Vickie Perri, earned the right to compete in the national championships by virtue of their performance on the Adobe certification exams. They will be at the Adobe Certified National Championships in Dallas in June. Last year, Ginger Johnson, another student of Perri’s, placed fourth in the national championships and just missed qualifying for the world championships.
DeLand High School Athletics
Two-time pole vault state champion DeLand High School athlete Kylie Neira has received her second-in-a-row championship ring. In 2024, she cleared 3.90 meters, or 12 feet, 9.5 inches, to claim her second state title in the FHSAA State Championships. Neira is also a member of the International Baccalaureate Program at DHS and has just signed to continue her education and her pole-vaulting career at the University of South Carolina in September. She trains year-round with the Thin Air Vault Club under the direction of coach Bill Cashman.
The DeLand track-and-field program, under the direction of Jim Lowenstein and Chris Madzik, has produced three state champions in three years: Kevar Williams in the 200 meters three years ago and Neira in the pole vault, as mentioned above.
The DeLand boys weightlifting season will begin Tuesday, Jan. 28, in the Bulldog gym against Matanzas and New Smyrna Beach. Damion Dunn returns as the head coach for the team.
During the first week after the holiday season, the boys basketball team won one and lost one. They defeated Father Lopez, 75-73, with Daniel Rodriguez scoring 21 points, Justin Suarez making 19 points and Kyle Carrico adding 10 points. They lost to Atlantic, 60-53.
The Lady Bulldog basketball team won one and lost two, with a 63-37 win over Deltona, but a 65-35 loss to Oak Ridge and 55-42 loss to Sanford.
In soccer action, the girls lost to Seabreeze, 4-0, and to University, 2-2, with the win going to the Titans with 5-3 shoot-out. They defeated Mainland, 5-1, and tied Matanzas, 0-0.
The boys topped Spruce Creek in a shoot-out, 5-4, with the score knotted at 1-1, while losing to Flagler Palm Coast, 2-1, and Taylor, 3-2.
The sports calendar for DeLand sends the wrestling team to the Storm Front Duals at Celebration Saturday, Jan. 25, while on Monday, Jan. 27, Tuesday, Jan. 28, and Thursday, Jan. 30, the boys basketball team will compete in the Five Star Tournament. Tuesday, Jan. 28, also has the Lady Bulldog basketball players at Seminole at 1 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 30, the girl weightlifters will be at the FHSAA regional meet, with the girls basketball team greeting Edgewater at 7 p.m., and the JV wrestlers hosting duals at 5 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31, sends the wrestlers to the Flagler IBT in Bunnell at noon, finishing Saturday, Feb. 1.
Blake Hinson
Blake Hinson, who lives in Deltona and played his last two seasons of college basketball at Pitt, went unselected in the 2024 NBA draft. He signed a two-way contract with the Lakers, but was waived in September. Later in September, he signed with the Golden State Warriors, but was waived in October. He then signed with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G-League.
Stetson University basketball
The Stetson University Hatter men’s basketball team won two and dropped the third game. The team defeated West Georgia, 78-62, with Mehki Ellison scoring 25 points, Josh Massey adding 21 points, Jordan Wood making 16 points with nine rebounds and one block, and Abramo Canka with 10 points, nine rebounds and three steals. They then topped Central Arkansas, 75-65, with Ellison scoring 18 points, Wood making 16 points with one block and five rebounds, Massey dropping in 15 points with two blocks, and Canka adding 12 points.
The Hats then were outscored by North Alabama, 92-64, with Ellison getting 20 points off the bench, Jamie Phillips Jr. making 11 points, and Massey scoring 11 points with five rebounds and two blocks.
The Lady Hatters won two and lost one, with the first win coming over Queens, 69-61, with Cameron Thomas scoring 18 points with seven rebounds and one block, while Jorah Eppley added 14 points, and Quentarra Mitchell added 10 points, three blocks and two steals.
They then lost to Jacksonville, 68-60, with Thomas leading the Hatters scoring 21 points. They then bounced back into the win column with a win over North Florida, 80-63. Thomas scored 17 points with 10 rebounds, Tiasia McMillan scored 14 points and seven rebounds, Mary McMillan added 13 points with 10 assists, Eppley dropped in 13 points, and Diawna Carter-Hartley finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The schedule has the men at Bellarmine at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, while the women greet Bellarmine at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 29, sends the men to North Florida at 7 p.m., while the women play at home Thursday, Jan. 30, against Austin Peay at 7 p.m. in a game presented by Culver’s.
Stetson University Athletics
Stetson University’s men’s soccer captain and 2024 ASUN Player of the Year Charles Ahl has signed his first professional contract with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC of the USL Championship. He agreed to a two-year deal that includes a third-year option for 2027, pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval. He hails from Winter Park.
NEW SITE — Students, faculty, staff and members of the community celebrate the opening of the all-weather Firearms Training Range Jan. 16 at Daytona State College’s DeLand campus. The facility is the first phase of the college’s plan to transition the Charles M. Curb School of Emergency Services to DeLand from its current home at DSC’s Advanced Technology College. The 20,000-square-foot facility features 15 firing lanes, a classroom and an observation area.
College honors
Savannah Rodgers, of Lake Helen, an early childhood, elementary and special ed major, was named to Samford University’s dean’s list for the fall 2024 semester. Samford University is in Birmingham, Alabama.
Asny Phillips, of Deltona, has earned a Bachelor of General Studies degree from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.
Alina Jones, an Integrated Art and Design major from Deltona, has been named to the dean’s list at East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Baylee J. Eads, of Orange City, has been named to the dean’s list for the fall 2024 semester at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.
Tyler Michalak, of DeLand, has been named to the dean’s list for the fall 2024 semester at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.
Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire, congratulates the following students on being named to the fall 2024 dean’s list and President’s List. The dean’s list includes Crystal Phillips and Jared Evans, both of Deltona; Brooke Peterson, Jennifer Bryant Mulcahy and Courtney Kehrley, all of DeLand; and Thomas Templeton, of DeBary. The President’s List includes Samantha Garcia, Tarick Paul, Gerald Alicea, Bethany Green and David Broking, all of Deltona; Caroline Davila, Jessica Rodriguez and Haley Chester, all of DeLand; and Rose Hays, Victoria Hausmann, Amanda Ploof and Ronald Barrow, all of DeBary.
Shane Rodriguez, of DeLand, has been named to the fall 2024 Chancellor’s List at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina.