Okeechobee Times

There were 2,011 Black students enrolled in Highlands County schools in the 2022-23 school year, a 1% increase from the 1,991 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Highlands County welcomed a total of 12,362 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 16.3% 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 2022-23 school year, with a total of 221 students, making up 12.2% of the school's total student body.

In 2022, Florida had more than 2.8 million students enrolled in its 4,202 schools. There were 163,558 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 17 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

Private school enrollment increased by more than 51,000 students in the 2021-22 school year, which was a notable rebound after the pandemic. In total, there were 416,084 students enrolled, marking the highest enrollment in private schools reported by the Florida Department of Education in 30 years.

According to WalletHub's analysis, Florida is ranked ninth out of 50 states in terms of its public school quality and safety.

School name	% of Black Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Sebring High School	12.2	1,809
Avon Park High School	22.8	928
Lake Placid High School	13.4	868
Sebring Middle School	11	815
Woodlawn Elementary School	19.9	794
Hill-Gustat Middle School	13.5	705
Lake Country Elementary School	6.4	685
Avon Park Middle School	25.5	638
Lake Placid Middle School	16.3	621
Sun 'n Lake Elementary School	20.1	618
Lake Placid Elementary School	18.5	594
Fred Wild Elementary School	17.8	563
Memorial Elementary School	27.8	532
Park Elementary School	16.3	527
Avon Elementary School	17.2	523