TAVARES, Fla. — Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay plans to retire at the end of the 2026-27 school year, district officials announced Monday.
Kornegay said her retirement will be effective May 28, 2027.
“Deciding to retire has been one of the most difficult decisions of my career,” Kornegay wrote in an email to staff. “While I know this is the right time for me personally, it is bittersweet to step away from a profession and a community that mean so much to me.”
Kornegay was appointed superintendent in 2017 after holding several leadership roles in Clay County Schools, including deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent for instruction, director of school improvement and teaching training, and school principal.
During Kornegay’s time leading Lake County Schools, the district earned an “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education in 2025 and 2026. District officials said those were the first consecutive A grades in Lake County Schools history.
The district also expanded career and technical education programs across its middle and high schools and added more accelerated diploma options, including AICE, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.
Lake County Schools said its graduation rate for district-operated schools increased from 77.8% when Kornegay became superintendent to 96%, the highest in the district’s recorded history.
Kornegay was named Florida’s 2026 Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents in December 2025.
“With another school year still ahead, I remain fully committed to serving the students, employees, and community throughout the 2026-27 school year while ensuring a smooth leadership transition,” Kornegay wrote.
District officials did not immediately announce who will replace Kornegay.
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