Okeechobee Times

The majority of students in Hendry County schools were Hispanic in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 13,859 students attending Hendry County schools, 52.2% were Hispanic. White students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 24.9% of Hendry County students.

In the previous school year, Hispanic students were also the most common ethnicity in Hendry County, representing 53.3% of the student body.

Digital Academy of Florida had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 37.5% Hispanic students, 30.8% white students, 22.9% Black students, 7.2% multiracial students, 1.2% Asian students, and 0.3% Alaskan Native or American Indian students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 3.3% 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.

School Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Central Elementary School	Hispanic	57%	588
Clewiston High School	Hispanic	59.4%	958
Clewiston Middle School	Hispanic	54.4%	741
Country Oaks Elementary School	Hispanic	70.7%	893
County Wide Exceptional Student Education	Black	< 10%	10
Digital Academy of Florida	Hispanic	37.5%	6,396
Eastside Elementary School	Hispanic	55.7%	503
Edward A. Upthegrove Elementary School	Hispanic	68.8%	541
Labelle Elementary School	Hispanic	67.7%	437
Labelle High School	Hispanic	71.5%	1,451
Labelle Middle School	Hispanic	73.7%	817
Montura Early Learning Center	White	85.7%	21
Westside Elementary School	Hispanic	61%	469