There were 1,355 white students enrolled in DeSoto County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 15.2% decrease from the 1,598 white students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Data showed that DeSoto County welcomed a total of 4,280 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, white students comprised 31.7% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the nine schools in DeSoto County, Desoto County High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 442 students, making up 35.1% 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 white Students Enrolment | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Desoto County High School | 35.1% | 1,259 |
| Desoto Middle School | 29.6% | 1,011 |
| Memorial Elementary School | 24.5% | 820 |
| West Elementary School | 42.1% | 684 |
| Nocatee Elementary School | 25.5% | 416 |
| Desoto Secondary School | 27.9% | 68 |
