Lake County considers 11 month school year

TAVARES, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Lake County Public Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay introduced what are being described as "bold initiatives," designed to improve student performance and help public schools compete with private schools, charter schools, and other options now available to students.

During a School Board workshop on Monday, officials also discussed ways to free up money to pay for the proposals, one of which is for every district-operated school to earn at least a "B" grade.  Kornegay said they might mean more class time, but she told FOX 35 that she is not proposing year-round school.

"What we know is we have many kids, and they come to school two or three years behind," she explained. "You can put them with the best teacher in the world, and give them the best quality instruction, but at the end of 180 days, they may have grown a year, a year-and-a-half in some cases, but they're still behind."  

Lawmakers have proposed spending $200 million next year to entice charter schools to set up near failing traditional schools.  Kornegay expects to present a more detailed plan for moving forward with her initiatives before the end of July.