West Florida News

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