MIAMI - The State Board of Education has approved Lake-Sumter State College's request to offer a Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Education (ESE).
Approved at the board's June 4 meeting, the program will launch in Fall 2026 and will use Lake Hills School as a model site for hands-on training. It will offer a hybrid of in-person and online coursework, including required Reading and ESOL endorsements, and it will prioritize enrollment from local high school teaching academies, paraprofessionals, and current school employees through a registered teacher apprenticeship pathway.
“We’re excited to use Lake Hills School as a lab site,” Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay said of the program, which is designed to address the need for certified ESE teachers in Lake and Sumter counties, one of the highest-demand teacher certification areas in the state, according to data from the Florida Department of Education. “Students will gain practical, on-the-job experience while working toward their degree, and our K-12 students will benefit from teachers who are passionate about exceptional student education.”
The new ESE bachelor’s program will use LSSC’s innovative “earn while you learn” model for teacher education, integrating paid, embedded clinical experiences throughout the curriculum. This is the College’s second bachelor’s degree in education. The Bachelor of Elementary Education program, launched in 2024, has more than 45 students enrolled with its first cohort graduating in Spring 2026.
"This is a significant milestone for Lake-Sumter State College and our community," said Dr. Laura Byrd, interim president of LSSC. "We are proud to expand our role in preparing the next generation of educators, and especially to meet the growing need for certified ESE teachers. We are grateful for the partnerships with Lake and Sumter County Schools to build a strong, local pipeline of ESE educators who are trained in real classrooms and ready to make an immediate impact."
Enrollment information on this new program will be available soon. Visit www.lssc.edu to learn more.