Polk Times

There were 34 Black students enrolled in Polk County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 99.9% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Polk County School District welcomed 157 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 21% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the district.

Polk County School District roughly covers 151 schools within Polk County, and has a main office in Bartow.

Among the 151 schools in Polk County School District, Haines City Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 798 students.

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 Year	Total District Enrollment	Total Black Students	Black %
2023-24	157	34	21%%
2022-23	114,483	23,227	20.3%%
2021-22	110,253	22,125	20.1%%
2020-21	105,368	21,176	20.1%%
2019-20	107,696	21,866	20.3%%
2018-19	105,673	21,616	20.5%%
2017-18	104,136	21,492	20.6%%