Okeechobee Times

There were 115 Black students enrolled in Highlands County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 94.3% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Highlands County School District welcomed 553 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 20% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the district.

Highlands County School District roughly covers 21 schools within Highlands County, and has a main office in Sebring.

Among the 21 schools in Highlands County School District, Woodlawn Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 287 students.

Meanwhile, Florida continues to face a teacher shortage in the 2023-24 school year. Despite some improvements, the state reported nearly 4,800 instructional vacancies at the beginning of the year. According to the Florida Department of Education, core subjects such as English, reading, and math among the areas with the highest demand for teachers.

According to the National Education Association (NEA), Florida ranked 50th in the U.S. for teacher pay in the 2022-23 school year, with salaries lower than they were a decade ago when adjusted for inflation.

Governor DeSantis's budget for the 2024-25 school year allocates nearly $38 billion for education, with $1.25 billion dedicated to teachers' salaries and other instructional personnel.

School Year	Total District Enrollment	Total Black Students	Black %
2023-24	553	115	20%%
2022-23	12,362	2,011	16.3%%
2021-22	12,246	1,991	16.3%%
2020-21	12,111	2,016	16.6%%
2019-20	12,080	2,024	16.8%%
2018-19	12,333	2,081	16.9%%
2017-18	12,414	2,122	17.1%%