Okeechobee Times

There were 2,000 Black students enrolled in Highlands County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 1.1% increase from the 1,979 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Highlands County welcomed a total of 11,966 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 16.7% 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 2023-24 school year, with a total of 256 students, making up 13.5% of the school's total student body.

Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.

A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.

School name	% of Black Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Sebring High School	13.5%	1,901
Avon Park High School	21.8%	946
Lake Placid High School	14.8%	829
Sebring Middle School	12.1%	787
Woodlawn Elementary School	21.2%	777
Cracker Trail Elementary School	5.3%	736
Hill-Gustat Middle School	16.3%	631
Lake Country Elementary School	9.1%	628
Avon Park Middle School	27.2%	602
Lake Placid Middle School	14.4%	598
Sun 'n Lake Elementary School	24.2%	590
Fred Wild Elementary School	17%	577
Avon Elementary School	20.8%	553
Lake Placid Elementary School	17.5%	548
Park Elementary School	17.5%	521
Memorial Elementary School	25.6%	508
Highlands Virtual School	11.3%	133
The Academy at Youth Care Lane	25.7%	70