Lake County Schools

We are excited to share that during their ribbon‑cutting ceremony this morning, the Burlington Store at The Villages presented Villages Elementary of Lady Lake (VELL) with a generous $5,000 donation! Principal Gregg Dudley proudly accepted the check, which will be used to purchase much‑needed items for our teachers’ classrooms. VELL is incredibly appreciative of the support from our new neighbor and grateful for a partner who believes in investing in our students and staff. Thank you, Burlington, for making a positive impact right from day one!

Mount Dora High School students recently competed in the Florida SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference. William De Jongh placed 2nd in Technical Drafting and will now move on to the National SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference, which will be held in June in Atlanta. He will represent Mount Dora High School and the state of Florida in the Technical Drafting competition. Congratulations to William and to Shane Endres and Josue Herrera Paz, who competed in Architectural Drafting.

Attention Lake-Sumter State College Dual Enrollment (DE) students: The DE bookstore will be open Monday, May 11, through Friday, May 15, for all Summer 2026 sessions. Below is a link to the form to request materials and an appointment to pick them up (NOTE: We are NOT open for morning appointment times on Monday, May 11).

Our bookstore is located at 509 S. Palm Ave. in Howey-in-the-Hills. If you have any questions, contact the Department of College and Career Readiness at 352-742-6987.

Request form: https://forms.gle/u8EbcRsBSvRGQY5t8

Thank you, Lake Technical College, for welcoming 35 students and faculty from South Lake and Umatilla high schools for a first-ever field trip focused on manufacturing and engineering career pathways! The experience introduced our students—already enrolled in related high school coursework—to advanced training options available through Lake Technical College’s Advanced Manufacturing & Production Technology and CNC Production Specialist programs. months and is designed to build directly on the foundational skills students are developing in high school. We are excited about what the future holds for our students!

Lake County Schools' annual STEAM Bowl kicked off today and continues through Wednesday. The event is a hands-on test of elementary and middle school students' science, technology, engineering, arts, and math skills. Congratulations to today's winners and best of luck to the rest of our competitors!

Congratulations to Dan McAuley of Leesburg High School! iBuild Central Florida and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Central Florida have named him High School Construction Teacher of the Year! The award was presented at the annual "State of Construction" event last week in Maitland, where Rep. Dr. Anna Eskamami was the featured keynote speaker.

Health science students from South Lake High CNA and Allied Health programs took part in the annual Central Florida Mass Casualty Exercise at Advent Health Minneola Hospital and Orlando Health Blue Cedar Freestanding Emergency Room on Thursday, April 9th. Dubbed "Operation Skyfall," this was the largest medical surge exercise in the nation and involved every hospital in Brevard, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, St. Lucie, and Volusia counties. Students and staff volunteered to play the role of victims in this vital exercise so that our local emergency rooms and hospitals can be better for an actual mass casualty event.

April is the Month of the Military Family in Florida! The Month of the Military Family provides communities with an opportunity to honor and share gratitude for the service of military children. This year, we invite you to “Purple Up!” on April 15, 2026, by wearing purple as a visible way to show support and thank military children. Purple was chosen because it is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military. It is a combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine Corps red, Space Force blue and Navy blue. Students and staff in schools across Florida are encouraged to participate in this celebration of the courage of military families and to honor their hard work.

April is School Library Month, a time to recognize the incredible impact our school libraries have on student learning and curiosity. We are proud to celebrate the outstanding media specialists across our district who inspire a love of reading, guide students in discovering new ideas, and help build essential research and digital literacy skills every day. Thank you for creating welcoming spaces where imagination grows, questions are encouraged, and every student can find a story that speaks to them. Your dedication makes a lasting difference in our schools. Please join us in showing appreciation for our amazing media specialists!

This week, we’re proud to celebrate the incredible assistant principals of Lake County Schools! Pictured here are some of the APs who serve our schools with dedication, compassion, and leadership.
Each day this week, we’ll be sharing different groups to ensure all of our assistant principals are recognized and appreciated. Thank you for everything you do to support students, staff, and school communities. Your impact is felt every single day.

Florida Prepaid's annual Open Enrollment period is underway, offering families an opportunity to lock in future college costs at today's plan prices. The earlier you begin saving, the greater the long-term benefit. Take advantage of these improvements and secure your child's future today with a Florida Prepaid 529 Plan. Enroll now at https://bit.ly/4q2cpCD .

April is the Month of the Military Family in Florida! The Month of the Military Family provides communities with an opportunity to honor and share gratitude for the service of military children. This year, we invite you to “Purple Up!” on April 15, 2026, by wearing purple as a visible way to show support and thank military children. Purple was chosen because it is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military. It is a combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine Corps red, Space Force blue and Navy blue. Students and staff in schools across Florida are encouraged to participate in this celebration of the courage of military families and to honor their hard work.

East Ridge High School student Leo Perez is representing his school and our district at the Florida State Finals of the Greatest Save Teen PSA Contest . He needs your vote! Watch the videos at the link below. Leo's video is #5, "The Muffin Man." Voting ends on Friday, April 10. Let's help Leo earn the top spot and move on to nationals! 👉 Watch and vote here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FL26state

We’re proud to celebrate the talented students of Eustis High School’s Construction Academy for their incredible work on the Little Library Project! In partnership with the City of Eustis and the Daughters of the American Revolution – Ocklawaha Chapter, these students designed and built Little Libraries that are being installed in city parks, including the first one at Ferran Park that was ready just in time for GeorgeFest earlier this year.

The project brought students from every grade level together: Sophomores cut the pieces. Juniors & Seniors handled assembly. Freshmen completed the shingled roofs.

The libraries are stocked with donated books from the Eustis Memorial Library and generous community members, encouraging readers of all ages — especially children — to “take a book, leave a book” and foster a lifelong love of reading.

Thank you to the students, instructors, and partners who made this first‑year project such a meaningful success. Your hard work is making a lasting difference in our parks and our community!

Congratulations to the winners of The Florida Power/4-H District Speech contest held earlier this week at the 4-H Extension Office in Tavares!

Elementary Winners:
* Honorable Mention -- Lwandle Nkomo, Sawgrass Bay, "Small Acts of Kindness"
* 3rd Place -- Lane McMennamy, Sorrento, "Florida Cowboys"
* 2nd Place -- Olivia Roberson, Cypress Ridge, "6-7 Trend"
*1st Place -- Aurora Wold, Minneola Charter, "Honey Bees:

Middle School Winners:
*3rd Place -- Katherine Petit, Wesley Christian, "Being the Oldest Child"
*2nd Place -- Tucker Nelan, Round Lake Charter, "My Poppa"
*1st Place -- Ari Clariett, Mascotte Charter, "Benefits of Playing Video Games"

Ready for next steps? Start your career in just one year at Lake Technical College! Lake Tech is your gateway to high-demand careers right here in Lake County. With hands-on training in fields like healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology, you’ll gain the real-world skills employers are looking for—fast. Lake Tech puts you to work on projects, builds your expertise, and prepares you for success from day one. Whether you’re passionate about helping others in healthcare, mastering technology, or excelling in skilled trades, Lake Tech has programs designed to match your career and life goals.

Serve up success with CTE hospitality! From event planning and culinary arts to tourism and guest services, hospitality students learn real-world skills that keep people happy, safe, and coming back for more. Lake County Schools students get a head start through the Culinary Arts program offered at East Ridge, Eustis, Lake Minneola, Leesburg, Mount Dora, South Lake, Tavares and Umatilla high schools. This CTE Month, our students are preparing for high-demand careers with growth, creativity, and endless opportunities!

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