white students made up the largest ethnic group enrolled in Charlotte County County school districts during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Of the 16,864 students attending Charlotte County schools, 64.9% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 18.6% of Charlotte County students.
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Charlotte County, representing 66.3% of the student body.
Baker/Head Start had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 39.4% white students, 24.8% Black students, 19.4% Hispanic students, and 14.5% multiracial students.
In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 0.2% when compared to the previous year.
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 Name | Most Prevalent Ethnicity | Percent of Total Student Body | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock Neighborhood School | White | 77.7% | 966 |
| Baker/Head Start | White | 39.4% | 165 |
| Charlotte Harbor School | White | 63.6% | 140 |
| Charlotte High School | White | 65.4% | 1,976 |
| Charlotte Technical College | White | < 10% | < 10 |
| Charlotte Virtual Franchise | White | 72.8% | 81 |
| Deep Creek Elementary School | White | 65.5% | 767 |
| East Elementary School | White | 76.9% | 800 |
| Florida Southwestern Collegiate High School | White | 66.5% | 355 |
| Kingsway Elementary School | White | 55.5% | 587 |
| L. A. Ainger Middle School | White | 76.9% | 644 |
| Lemon Bay High School | White | 79.9% | 1,346 |
| Liberty Elementary School | White | 57.6% | 694 |
| Meadow Park Elementary School | White | 60.5% | 669 |
| Murdock Middle School | White | 53.4% | 635 |
| Myakka River Elementary School | White | 79.5% | 652 |
| Neil Armstrong Elementary School | White | 49.1% | 784 |
| Peace River Elementary School | White | 51.9% | 524 |
| Port Charlotte High School | White | 53.5% | 1,659 |
| Port Charlotte Middle School | White | 48.8% | 884 |
| Punta Gorda Middle School | White | 70.6% | 1,072 |
| Sallie Jones Elementary School | White | 65.2% | 658 |
| The Academy | White | 64.8% | 298 |
| Vineland Elementary School | White | 81.9% | 502 |
