Congrats, Class of 2024! More than 5,000 students to graduate this week in Brevard

Finch Walker, Florida Today
Updated ·2 min read

Over the course of this week, about 5,000 students will close the book on their high school years.

Graduations for Brevard Public Schools students kicked off on Monday, with graduations for students in private and charter schools starting the previous Friday.

BPS Superintendent Mark Rendell shared words of encouragement for this year's seniors.

"I want to congratulate the class of 2024 and urge them to move boldly into the next stage of their lives," he said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY.

"They have overcome many obstacles to reach this milestone, but there are many more landmarks to meet. This is only the first chapter of the story of their lives."

This year looked a little different for students throughout Florida, with new rules from the Florida Board of Education requiring things like parental signatures for students wishing to go by a nickname or any extracurriculars outside the classroom, but the class of 2024 adjusted and made it out on top.

Here's what this week will look like for graduates -- and a peek at what the past year held for them.

When are graduations?

After an hour delay from rain and lighting, the Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy graduation ceremony took place under clear skies in the Kelly Stadium at the school Saturday night, May 18th.
After an hour delay from rain and lighting, the Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy graduation ceremony took place under clear skies in the Kelly Stadium at the school Saturday night, May 18th.

Graduations began on Friday, May 17, for private and charter schools, and started on Monday for Brevard Public Schools. Ceremonies will wrap up on Saturday.

What did students learn?

Though Florida requires 24 credits for a standard diploma, graduating seniors at Brevard Public Schools were required to earn 26 credits to receive the same diploma. Their course requirements were mostly the same, with some additions like courses in world language, career research, decision-making and more.

With recent legislation from the state, confusion about what could and couldn't be taught in classrooms was a big part of this year. Teachers shared that using supplemental materials in addition to the core curriculum was a challenge, and in some places, not allowed at all.

What scholarships did students get?

Students received a variety of scholarships from local funding sources, Bright Futures, the U.S. military and in- and out-of-state universities. Eleven high schools reported more than $28,296,198 in scholarships, with Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School reporting the most funds and West Shore Jr./Sr. High School reporting the most scholarship recipients.

Scholarships can be a challenge to get, and students often need funding from multiple sources to afford university.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cheers to you: More than 5,000 Brevard students to graduate this week