Okeechobee Times

The most represented ethnicity among Okeechobee County students was white, accounting for 44.2% of the student population, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 6,398 students attending Okeechobee County schools, 44.2% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 44.2% of Okeechobee County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Okeechobee County, representing 44.3% of the student body.

Okeechobee Achievement Academy had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 42.7% white students, 40.2% Hispanic students, 9% Black students, and 5.5% multiracial students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 0.1% 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	49.3%	530
Everglades Elementary School	White	49.5%	760
North Elementary School	White	48.4%	576
Okeechobee Achievement Academy	White	42.7%	199
Okeechobee High School	Hispanic	45.4%	1,692
Okeechobee Virtual Franchise	White	55.1%	89
Osceola Middle School	White	47.5%	753
Seminole Elementary School	Hispanic	57.6%	502
South Elementary School	White	56.9%	573
Student Serv./Special Programs	Hispanic	< 10%	< 10
Tantie	Black	56.6%	53
Yearling Middle School	Hispanic	52%	668