Okeechobee Times

There were 4,577 Hispanic students enrolled in Highlands County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 0.5% decrease from the 4,599 Hispanic 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, Hispanic students comprised 38.3% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 21 schools in Highlands County, Sebring High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 658 students, making up 34.6% 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 Hispanic Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Sebring High School	34.6%	1,901
Avon Park High School	44.4%	946
Lake Placid High School	44.9%	829
Sebring Middle School	31.8%	787
Woodlawn Elementary School	29.6%	777
Cracker Trail Elementary School	25.4%	736
Hill-Gustat Middle School	39%	631
Lake Country Elementary School	47.3%	628
Avon Park Middle School	44.4%	602
Lake Placid Middle School	46.3%	598
Sun 'n Lake Elementary School	26.9%	590
Fred Wild Elementary School	41.1%	577
Avon Elementary School	49.9%	553
Lake Placid Elementary School	33.6%	548
Park Elementary School	46.3%	521
Memorial Elementary School	39%	508
Highlands Virtual School	30.1%	133
The Academy at Youth Care Lane	38.6%	70
Highlands County Hospital/Homebound Program	52.4%	21