BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A Santa Fe Lake resident has been named Florida’s 2026 Superintendent of the Year.
Lake County School District Superintendent Diane Kornegay was selected as Florida’s 2026 Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.
Kornegay was formally recognized on Wednesday, December 3, in Tampa during the Florida School Boards Association and superintendents’ association joint conference. She is the 39th superintendent and the 10th woman to receive this honor since the inception of the awards program in 1988.
According to a news release by the superintendent’s association, Kornegay is a seasoned education administrator with more than 35 years of educational experience.
Prior to being appointed Lake County Schools superintendent in December 2016, she served several leadership roles in Clay County Schools, including Deputy Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Director of School Improvement and Teacher Training, as well as school principal. Kornegay holds a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Education from the University of North Florida.
Initiatives included programs to help students with jobs
“Under Kornegay’s leadership, the district has made significant strides in academic performance and program offerings,” the association said. “The district achieved an ‘A’ grade from the Florida Department of Education in 2025, the first since 2008, with notable increases in proficiency, including 15 percentage points in Algebra 1 and 7 percentage points in English Language Arts for grades 9 and 10. When the district noticed declining attendance in their high schools due to the need for students to work part-time or even full-time to support themselves or contribute to their families, the school district developed a high school night school option and a flexible day high school program in partnership with Lake Technical College. This flexible pathway to graduation resulted in an overall graduation rate increase from 88% to 93% in three years, and graduation rates have remained at or above 90% for the past four years.”
According to the superintendent’s association, additional accolades for Lake County Schools include expanding access to high-demand career and technical education programs across all middle and high schools. All high schools now provide accelerated diploma tracks, including Advanced International Certificates of Education, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate programs. Lake County students passed nearly 5,000 industry certification exams in 2024.
Florida’s longest-serving appointed superintendent
Florida Association of District School Superintendents CEO Senator Bill Montford said Kornegay epitomizes the passion Florida educators share for changing the lives of students.
“Diane Kornegay exemplifies this passion and commitment each and every day,” he said. “I have been impressed with Diane since her appointment as Lake County Schools superintendent. Diane is a determined and unwavering advocate for public education and student success. Her sustained tenure speaks to her remarkable ability to bring people together, forge trust, and lead the kind of meaningful change that delivers exceptional outcomes for students.”
Montford added that Kornegay is the state’s longest-serving appointed superintendent.
‘Leads with compassion and conviction’
The superintendents’ association said that in addition to her role as Lake County Schools Superintendent, Kornegay remains deeply engaged in numerous community and state organizations, which have earned her many awards and recognition. In 2021, she was recognized as Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education, an award that honors superintendents for their dedication to advancing CTE and preparing students for the workforce. She was awarded the Community Service Award from the Lake County Chamber Alliance of Education, the Star Superintendent Award from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, and the Leesburg Chamber of Commerce Education Award, among others. Kornegay has served on the board of directors of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents since 2019 and currently serves as vice president.
Superintendents Association President and Miami-Dade County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres said Kornegay is a true servant-leader committed to educational excellence.
“Superintendent Kornegay leads with compassion and conviction, driven by a work ethic grounded in servant leadership and a commitment to educational excellence,” Dotres said. “Her philosophy that the work of a superintendent and public educators ‘has to be done as if there is no tomorrow because we only get one chance with these kids’, clearly exemplifies her dedication to public education.”
Kornegay said she is humbled by the honor.
“It is a privilege to be chosen among a class of outstanding and dedicated superintendents in this state, who are fiercely committed to ensuring academic excellence and opportunities for all students,” she said. “This recognition is truly an honor personally, but more so, it reflects the outstanding achievements and tireless work of everyone who makes up Lake County Public Schools.”
Lake County lies north and west of the Orlando metropolitan area and has a population of nearly 400,000. Principal communities include The Villages, Eustis, Mt. Dora, Leesburg, Tavares, and Clermont.
Kornegay is a Bradford County resident and is married to Bradford County Manager Scott Kornegay.
