There were 2,000 Black students enrolled in Highlands County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 1.1% increase from the 1,979 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Data showed that Highlands County welcomed a total of 11,966 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 16.7% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 21 schools in Highlands County, Sebring High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 256 students, making up 13.5% of the school’s total student body.
Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.
A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.
| School name | % of Black Students Enrolment | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Sebring High School | 13.5% | 1,901 |
| Avon Park High School | 21.8% | 946 |
| Lake Placid High School | 14.8% | 829 |
| Sebring Middle School | 12.1% | 787 |
| Woodlawn Elementary School | 21.2% | 777 |
| Cracker Trail Elementary School | 5.3% | 736 |
| Hill-Gustat Middle School | 16.3% | 631 |
| Lake Country Elementary School | 9.1% | 628 |
| Avon Park Middle School | 27.2% | 602 |
| Lake Placid Middle School | 14.4% | 598 |
| Sun ‘n Lake Elementary School | 24.2% | 590 |
| Fred Wild Elementary School | 17% | 577 |
| Avon Elementary School | 20.8% | 553 |
| Lake Placid Elementary School | 17.5% | 548 |
| Park Elementary School | 17.5% | 521 |
| Memorial Elementary School | 25.6% | 508 |
| Highlands Virtual School | 11.3% | 133 |
| The Academy at Youth Care Lane | 25.7% | 70 |
