TAVARES -- After 14 years of service to Lake County Schools, School Board Chairman Bill Mathias is stepping down. He chose not to seek re-election this year. His last meeting is at 6 p.m. tonight -- Monday, November 9 -- at the Lake County Administration Building, 315 W. Main Street, in Tavares.
"Fourteen years ago, I began this journey with a desire to make a difference," said Mathias, the board's representative for District 1, which includes the Academy at Lake Hills - South, Cecil E. Gray Middle, Grassy Lake Elementary, Groveland Elementary, Lake Minneola High and South Lake High schools. "I could never have imagined how much this community would give back to me. Thank you to the students, families, educators, staff, and community members who shared this journey with me. Your support, encouragement, and partnership made every day of service meaningful. I leave with a grateful heart and tremendous pride in what we have accomplished together."
Owner of Mathias Food Services Equipment Co. based in Leesburg, Mathias brought a business perspective to School Board operations and was a chief advocate for the district's current pay-as-you-go approach to construction and a reduction of school district debt.
He has also been the face of the district's fight to increase state funding. Lake ranks 64th out of our 67 counties in per-student funding, despite being the 18th largest Florida school district in population.
Additionally, he was instrumental in the board's decision in 2017 to hire Diane Kornegay as district superintendent. She has since led the district to two back-to-back A ratings from the state and was selected as the state's 2026 Superintendent of the Year. The longest-serving appointed superintendent in the state, Kornegay is retiring this year.
"Our district owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mr. Mathias for his leadership," Kornegay said. "Throughout his 14 years on the School Board, he has understood that the decisions we make today must position our school district for success for generations of students to come. His advocacy for responsible financial stewardship has helped strengthen our financial foundation and preserve resources for the students and employees we serve. I am particularly grateful for the confidence he placed in me when he helped lead the board's decision to select me as superintendent. Together, we have worked toward a shared vision of excellence. I am grateful for his partnership, steady leadership, and the lasting contributions he has made to Lake County Schools."
Mathias was named Florida's School Board Member of the Year in 2017 and received the Lake County Community Service Award in 2018.
Pat Kelley, the board's newly elected District 1 representative, will be sworn in on November 17.