White students made up 32.5% of Polk County schools enrollment in 2023-24 school year

Manny Diaz, Jr. Commissioner of education at Florida Department of Education | https://www.flbog.edu/member/21325/

By Polk Times

Feb 19, 2025

There were 37,430 white students enrolled in Polk County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 3.5% decrease from the 38,792 white 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, white students comprised 32.5% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 159 schools in Polk County, George W. Jenkins Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 1,188 students, making up 47.2% 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.

Ethnicities in Polk County in 2023-24 School Year

Enrollment in Polk County Schools During 2023-24 School Year

School name	% of white Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Haines City Senior High School	10.2%	2,914
Ridge Community High School	9.1%	2,666
Winter Haven Senior High School	31.3%	2,553
George W. Jenkins Senior High School	47.2%	2,517
Davenport High School	18.7%	2,481
Bartow Senior High School	42.4%	2,243
Lakeland Senior High School	39.7%	2,057
Lake Gibson Senior High School	40.3%	2,039
Kathleen Senior High School	31.8%	1,951
Auburndale Senior High School	40.3%	1,777
McKeel Academy of Technology	64.6%	1,722
Lake Wales Senior High School	42.5%	1,599
Ridgeview Global Studies Academy	41.3%	1,573
Lake Region High School	23.2%	1,554
Davenport School of the Arts	26.6%	1,513
Horizons Elementary School	11.2%	1,500
Shelley S. Boone Middle School	10.4%	1,421
Mulberry Senior High School	37.7%	1,399
Citrus Ridge A. Civics Academy	18.9%	1,347
Lakeland Highlands Middle School	48.2%	1,260
South McKeel Academy	59.9%	1,199
Mulberry Middle School	36.6%	1,176
Tenoroc High School	36.6%	1,157
Lake Gibson Middle School	41.2%	1,118
Loughman Oaks Elementary School	17.7%	1,113
Bella Citta Elementary School	16.4%	1,111
Jere L. Stambaugh Middle School	38.5%	1,090
Sleepy Hill Middle School	22.1%	1,087
Frostproof Middle/Senior High School	40.9%	1,082
Laurel Elementary School	6.3%	1,049
Lake Marion Creek Middle School	8.8%	1,038
Sandhill Elementary School	16.2%	1,017
Chain of Lakes Elementary School	36.3%	1,008
Bartow Middle School	42.6%	999
Navigator Academy of Leadership Davenport	9.7%	994
Lena Vista Elementary School	36.2%	963
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School	38.6%	954
Discovery Academy of Lake Alfred	30.8%	911
Willow Oak School	33.3%	902
Walter Caldwell Elementary School	32.2%	895
Davenport Elementary School	14.1%	880
Lake Alfred Elementary School	21.6%	880
Crystal Lake Middle School	28.2%	865
Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin Jr. Elementary School	41.8%	856
Fred G. Garner Elementary School	17.3%	840
New Beginnings High School	19.7%	837
Wendell Watson Elementary School	48.6%	835
Kathleen Middle School	36.3%	835
Westwood Middle School	16.6%	829
Valleyview Elementary School	54.6%	817
Discovery High School	28.3%	812
Rochelle School of the Arts	34.2%	803
Scott Lake Elementary School	55.2%	777
Fort Meade Middle/Senior High School	31.5%	771
Spessard L. Holland Elementary School	40.4%	769
Lake Alfred Polytech Academy	32.5%	767
Sleepy Hill Elementary School	28.3%	766
Alta Vista Elementary School	9.2%	760
Dr. Ne Roberts Elementary School	41%	749
Southwest Middle School	31.5%	745
Jewett School of the Arts	24.8%	737
Denison Middle School	20.3%	729
Dundee Ridge Middle Academy	18.9%	723
Highlands Grove Elementary School	52.8%	712
Eagle Lake Elementary School	33.1%	697
Berkley Elementary School	69.4%	696
Pinewood Elementary School	31.1%	692
Garden Grove Elementary School	35.2%	691
R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School	41.8%	686
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy	47.1%	671
Edward W. Bok Academy North	40.4%	670
Eastside Elementary School	7.2%	668
McLaughlin Middle School and Fine Arts Academy	26.9%	666
Hillcrest Elementary School	46.6%	665
North Lakeland Elementary School of Choice	22.6%	637
Dundee Elementary Academy	31.1%	636
Philip O'Brien Elementary School	31.4%	633
Floral Avenue Elementary School	45.8%	629
Bok Academy	48.5%	627
Berkley Accelerated Middle School	68.6%	627
Lake Shipp Elementary School	24.7%	620
Clarence Boswell Elementary School	39.9%	619
Jesse Keen Elementary School	14.2%	614
McKeel Academy Central	59.2%	610
Rosabelle W. Blake Academy	26.4%	603
Elbert Elementary School	22.8%	596
Jewett Middle Academy Magnet	36.1%	587
Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School	30.3%	587
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary School	36.8%	554
James W. Sikes Elementary School	47.2%	551
Frank E. Brigham Academy	41.7%	551
Spook Hill Elementary School	33.3%	547
Polk City Elementary School	62.3%	539
Bridgeprep Academy of Polk	19.3%	535
Polk Avenue Elementary School	26.8%	534
Bartow Elementary Academy	50.7%	531
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering	44.8%	529
Lincoln Avenue Academy	42.3%	522
Winston Academy of Engineering	36.3%	520
Socrum Elementary School	45.8%	515
Medulla Elementary School	32.4%	503
Daniel Jenkins Academy of Technology Middle School	7.4%	499
Winter Haven Elementary 21c	32.6%	494
Wahneta Elementary School	10.4%	492
Kathleen Elementary School	43.3%	480
Purcell Elementary School	40.9%	474
Palmetto Elementary School	8%	473
Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School	72.3%	465
Polk Full Time Eschool	43.7%	455
Bethune Academy	11.2%	430
Janie Howard Wilson School	17.7%	430
Crystal Lake Elementary School	24%	425
Highland City Elementary School	50.1%	415
Carlton Palmore Elementary School	45.3%	413
Griffin Elementary School	21.4%	411
Cleveland Court Elementary School	43.7%	398
John Snively Elementary School	18.6%	397
Inwood Elementary School	14.8%	393
Union Academy	47.3%	389
Southwest Elementary School	36.1%	380
Oscar J. Pope Elementary School	24.6%	378
Auburndale Central Elementary School	27.2%	372
Language & Literacy Academy for Learning	24.3%	341
Polk State College Collegiate High School	61.1%	334
James E. Stephens Elementary School	18%	328
Dixieland Elementary School	25.8%	325
Victory Ridge Academy	38.2%	314
Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School	42.4%	314
Alturas Elementary School	65.2%	296
Roosevelt Academy	37.5%	277
Real Academy (Reaching Every Adolescent Learner)	21.2%	264
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Charter High School	28.7%	254
Mi Escuela Montessori	37.2%	239
Cypress Junction Montessori	61.7%	193
Magnolia Montessori Academy	63.5%	178
Hartridge Academy	48.5%	171
Compass Middle Charter School	26.1%	161
Karen M. Siegel Academy	34%	159
Achievement Academy	33.8%	157
Hospital Homebound	48.3%	151
Ridge Technical Academy	36.4%	143
Fresh Start Community School	23.3%	133
Maynard A. Traviss Technical Academy	44.5%	110
Lakeland Montessori School House	66.7%	108
Bill Duncan Opportunity Center	37.6%	85
Doris A. Sanders Learning Center	47.6%	84
Gause Academy of Leadership	23.2%	82
Jean O'Dell Learning Center	33.3%	78
Pace Center for Girls	49.1%	57
Polk County Sheriffs Regional Detention Center	30.6%	49
Transition School	36.6%	41
Polk Pre-Collegiate Academy	43.6%	39
Lakeland Montessori Middle School	50%	30
Polk Virtual Instruction Program	50%	28