Okeechobee Times

The most represented ethnicity among Highlands County district's students was white, accounting for 39.6% of the student population, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 12,362 students attending Highlands County district schools, 39.6% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity in Highlands County district (37.8%).

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Highlands County district, representing 40.5% of the student body.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 0.9% when compared to the previous year.

Florida's choice to stick with in-person classes during the pandemic may have shielded students from significant learning setbacks. A recent Harvard study highlighted that districts heavily reliant on remote learning saw the most significant declines in student achievement amid the COVID-19 crisis.

“Interestingly, gaps in math achievement by race and school poverty did not widen in school districts in states such as Texas and Florida and elsewhere that remained largely in-person,” said Thomas Kane, professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

District	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Highlands County School District	White	39.6%	12,362