Polk Times

There were 24,120 Black students enrolled in Polk County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 4.4% increase from the 23,110 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Polk County welcomed a total of 115,142 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 20.9% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 159 schools in Polk County, Haines City Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 798 students, making up 27.4% 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 Black Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Haines City Senior High School	27.4%	2,914
Ridge Community High School	23.7%	2,666
Winter Haven Senior High School	30.7%	2,553
George W. Jenkins Senior High School	15.7%	2,517
Davenport High School	17.6%	2,481
Bartow Senior High School	19.9%	2,243
Lakeland Senior High School	24.8%	2,057
Lake Gibson Senior High School	23%	2,039
Kathleen Senior High School	22.3%	1,951
Auburndale Senior High School	21.9%	1,777
McKeel Academy of Technology	7.5%	1,722
Lake Wales Senior High School	18.7%	1,599
Ridgeview Global Studies Academy	10.4%	1,573
Lake Region High School	28.2%	1,554
Davenport School of the Arts	15.8%	1,513
Horizons Elementary School	22.1%	1,500
Shelley S. Boone Middle School	24.1%	1,421
Mulberry Senior High School	10.2%	1,399
Citrus Ridge A. Civics Academy	17.1%	1,347
Lakeland Highlands Middle School	16.2%	1,260
South McKeel Academy	8.9%	1,199
Mulberry Middle School	8%	1,176
Tenoroc High School	19.2%	1,157
Lake Gibson Middle School	20.5%	1,118
Loughman Oaks Elementary School	19.8%	1,113
Bella Citta Elementary School	17.9%	1,111
Jere L. Stambaugh Middle School	17.7%	1,090
Sleepy Hill Middle School	26.1%	1,087
Frostproof Middle/Senior High School	10%	1,082
Laurel Elementary School	39.3%	1,049
Lake Marion Creek Middle School	35.3%	1,038
Sandhill Elementary School	20.6%	1,017
Chain of Lakes Elementary School	20.3%	1,008
Bartow Middle School	22%	999
Navigator Academy of Leadership Davenport	10.1%	994
Lena Vista Elementary School	21.2%	963
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School	12.2%	954
Discovery Academy of Lake Alfred	17.3%	911
Willow Oak School	7.1%	902
Walter Caldwell Elementary School	27.2%	895
Davenport Elementary School	19.2%	880
Lake Alfred Elementary School	26.1%	880
Crystal Lake Middle School	24.3%	865
Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin Jr. Elementary School	7.7%	856
Fred G. Garner Elementary School	40.6%	840
New Beginnings High School	29%	837
Wendell Watson Elementary School	15.4%	835
Kathleen Middle School	20.8%	835
Westwood Middle School	31.7%	829
Valleyview Elementary School	14.1%	817
Discovery High School	19.2%	812
Rochelle School of the Arts	35.1%	803
Scott Lake Elementary School	11.7%	777
Fort Meade Middle/Senior High School	13.9%	771
Spessard L. Holland Elementary School	24.8%	769
Lake Alfred Polytech Academy	19.2%	767
Sleepy Hill Elementary School	24.7%	766
Alta Vista Elementary School	23.2%	760
Dr. Ne Roberts Elementary School	19.1%	749
Southwest Middle School	24.6%	745
Jewett School of the Arts	46.5%	737
Denison Middle School	36.6%	729
Dundee Ridge Middle Academy	19.6%	723
Highlands Grove Elementary School	12.6%	712
Eagle Lake Elementary School	20.7%	697
Berkley Elementary School	4%	696
Pinewood Elementary School	21%	692
Garden Grove Elementary School	26.8%	691
R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School	15.6%	686
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy	21.6%	671
Edward W. Bok Academy North	18.7%	670
Eastside Elementary School	24.3%	668
McLaughlin Middle School and Fine Arts Academy	26.4%	666
Hillcrest Elementary School	22%	665
North Lakeland Elementary School of Choice	30.1%	637
Dundee Elementary Academy	14.8%	636
Philip O'Brien Elementary School	27.8%	633
Floral Avenue Elementary School	18.1%	629
Bok Academy	16.3%	627
Berkley Accelerated Middle School	5.1%	627
Lake Shipp Elementary School	35.5%	620
Clarence Boswell Elementary School	16.8%	619
Jesse Keen Elementary School	11.9%	614
McKeel Academy Central	12%	610
Rosabelle W. Blake Academy	41.5%	603
Elbert Elementary School	35.9%	596
Jewett Middle Academy Magnet	31.9%	587
Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School	11.9%	587
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary School	24%	554
James W. Sikes Elementary School	13.2%	551
Frank E. Brigham Academy	24.9%	551
Spook Hill Elementary School	26.9%	547
Polk City Elementary School	4.1%	539
Bridgeprep Academy of Polk	12.5%	535
Polk Avenue Elementary School	26%	534
Bartow Elementary Academy	20.3%	531
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering	16.3%	529
Lincoln Avenue Academy	27.2%	522
Winston Academy of Engineering	24.8%	520
Socrum Elementary School	19.2%	515
Medulla Elementary School	23.5%	503
Daniel Jenkins Academy of Technology Middle School	31.5%	499
Winter Haven Elementary 21c	24.9%	494
Wahneta Elementary School	2.8%	492
Kathleen Elementary School	21%	480
Purcell Elementary School	9.3%	474
Palmetto Elementary School	20.3%	473
Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School	6.9%	465
Polk Full Time Eschool	15.2%	455
Bethune Academy	49.8%	430
Janie Howard Wilson School	35.6%	430
Crystal Lake Elementary School	25.6%	425
Highland City Elementary School	11.3%	415
Carlton Palmore Elementary School	21.8%	413
Griffin Elementary School	32.4%	411
Cleveland Court Elementary School	23.1%	398
John Snively Elementary School	19.6%	397
Inwood Elementary School	50.6%	393
Union Academy	23.7%	389
Southwest Elementary School	20%	380
Oscar J. Pope Elementary School	16.4%	378
Auburndale Central Elementary School	26.3%	372
Language & Literacy Academy for Learning	27%	341
Polk State College Collegiate High School	7.8%	334
James E. Stephens Elementary School	44.2%	328
Dixieland Elementary School	22.2%	325
Victory Ridge Academy	16.9%	314
Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School	18.8%	314
Alturas Elementary School	7.8%	296
Roosevelt Academy	14.1%	277
Real Academy (Reaching Every Adolescent Learner)	39.8%	264
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Charter High School	37.8%	254
Cypress Junction Montessori	9.3%	193
Magnolia Montessori Academy	5.6%	178
Hartridge Academy	11.7%	171
Compass Middle Charter School	29.2%	161
Karen M. Siegel Academy	17.6%	159
Achievement Academy	21.7%	157
Hospital Homebound	10.6%	151
Ridge Technical Academy	16.8%	143
Fresh Start Community School	30.1%	133
Maynard A. Traviss Technical Academy	14.5%	110
Bill Duncan Opportunity Center	43.5%	85
Doris A. Sanders Learning Center	25%	84
Gause Academy of Leadership	36.6%	82
Jean O'Dell Learning Center	19.2%	78
Don E. Woods Opportunity Center	35.4%	65
Pace Center for Girls	26.3%	57
Polk County Sheriffs Regional Detention Center	38.8%	49
Polk County Sheriff's Central Center	66.7%	36
Polk Halfway House	50%	24