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Ten Things to Know About Booker High School
- Booker High School is the most diverse school in Sarasota County with a demographic makeup of 39% Hispanic, 28% Caucasian, 27% African-American, 5% mixed ethnicity and less than 1% “other.”
- Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the students are economically disadvantaged.
- Booker High School’s graduation rate has increased by 32% during the past eight years. This impressive achievement has been accomplished in spite of the majority of students entering the 9th grade at substantially below grade-level.
- Booker High School has the only school-wide comprehensive college and career readiness program in Sarasota County which has been in existence for the past 15 years.
- Booker High School is the only Sarasota county high school to offer college scholarships to eligible students.
- Booker High School is second only to Pineview School in the number of submitted student applications for federal student financial aid.
- Booker High School has the largest percentage of minority and economically challenged students who pursue post-secondary education.
- Booker High School is the only Sarasota County high school to have formal college and career readiness partnerships with University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, New College, State College of Florida, Suncoast Technical College and Ringing College of Art + Design.
- Booker High School is the only Sarasota County high school with direct admission agreements with University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and New College of Florida.
- Booker High School is led by its principal, Dr. Rachel Shelley – Florida’s 2017 Principal of the Year, 2018 Principal of the Year – Florida Association of Secondary School Principals and 2019 Principal of the Year – Florida Arts Education Association.