Polk Times

There were 2,992 multiracial students enrolled in Polk County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 1.4% increase from the 2,951 multiracial 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, multiracial students comprised 2.6% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 159 schools in Polk County, two schools recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 85 students.

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 multiracial Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Haines City Senior High School	1.3%	2,914
Ridge Community High School	1.4%	2,666
Winter Haven Senior High School	2.8%	2,553
George W. Jenkins Senior High School	3.4%	2,517
Davenport High School	2.2%	2,481
Bartow Senior High School	2.5%	2,243
Lakeland Senior High School	4.1%	2,057
Lake Gibson Senior High School	2.5%	2,039
Kathleen Senior High School	2.4%	1,951
Auburndale Senior High School	2.5%	1,777
McKeel Academy of Technology	2.1%	1,722
Lake Wales Senior High School	2.6%	1,599
Ridgeview Global Studies Academy	2.4%	1,573
Lake Region High School	1.2%	1,554
Davenport School of the Arts	2.5%	1,513
Horizons Elementary School	1.3%	1,500
Shelley S. Boone Middle School	0.7%	1,421
Mulberry Senior High School	2.1%	1,399
Citrus Ridge A. Civics Academy	4.1%	1,347
Lakeland Highlands Middle School	4%	1,260
South McKeel Academy	4.8%	1,199
Mulberry Middle School	1.8%	1,176
Tenoroc High School	2.6%	1,157
Lake Gibson Middle School	2.1%	1,118
Loughman Oaks Elementary School	2.2%	1,113
Bella Citta Elementary School	2.3%	1,111
Jere L. Stambaugh Middle School	3.5%	1,090
Sleepy Hill Middle School	2.5%	1,087
Frostproof Middle/Senior High School	2.4%	1,082
Laurel Elementary School	1.2%	1,049
Sandhill Elementary School	2.3%	1,017
Chain of Lakes Elementary School	2.9%	1,008
Bartow Middle School	3.5%	999
Navigator Academy of Leadership Davenport	1%	994
Lena Vista Elementary School	2.4%	963
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School	3.5%	954
Discovery Academy of Lake Alfred	3.1%	911
Willow Oak School	1.9%	902
Walter Caldwell Elementary School	3.6%	895
Lake Alfred Elementary School	4.5%	880
Crystal Lake Middle School	3.2%	865
Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin Jr. Elementary School	3.2%	856
Fred G. Garner Elementary School	1.7%	840
New Beginnings High School	2.7%	837
Wendell Watson Elementary School	3.1%	835
Kathleen Middle School	2.8%	835
Westwood Middle School	2.9%	829
Valleyview Elementary School	2.1%	817
Discovery High School	1.5%	812
Rochelle School of the Arts	5.2%	803
Scott Lake Elementary School	4%	777
Fort Meade Middle/Senior High School	2.1%	771
Spessard L. Holland Elementary School	3.4%	769
Lake Alfred Polytech Academy	3.1%	767
Sleepy Hill Elementary School	3%	766
Dr. Ne Roberts Elementary School	3.1%	749
Southwest Middle School	3.1%	745
Jewett School of the Arts	3.9%	737
Denison Middle School	2.6%	729
Highlands Grove Elementary School	3.7%	712
Eagle Lake Elementary School	4%	697
Berkley Elementary School	3.2%	696
Pinewood Elementary School	2.9%	692
Garden Grove Elementary School	4.1%	691
R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School	4.2%	686
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy	4.8%	671
Edward W. Bok Academy North	3.3%	670
McLaughlin Middle School and Fine Arts Academy	2%	666
Hillcrest Elementary School	4.4%	665
North Lakeland Elementary School of Choice	2.8%	637
Dundee Elementary Academy	2.2%	636
Philip O'Brien Elementary School	5.5%	633
Floral Avenue Elementary School	2.5%	629
Bok Academy	3%	627
Berkley Accelerated Middle School	1.6%	627
Lake Shipp Elementary School	5.8%	620
Clarence Boswell Elementary School	3.4%	619
McKeel Academy Central	4.1%	610
Rosabelle W. Blake Academy	4.5%	603
Elbert Elementary School	5.2%	596
Jewett Middle Academy Magnet	3.2%	587
Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School	2.2%	587
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary School	3.2%	554
James W. Sikes Elementary School	4%	551
Frank E. Brigham Academy	3.6%	551
Spook Hill Elementary School	3.3%	547
Polk City Elementary School	2.8%	539
Bartow Elementary Academy	6.2%	531
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering	3.2%	529
Lincoln Avenue Academy	5%	522
Winston Academy of Engineering	4%	520
Socrum Elementary School	2.1%	515
Medulla Elementary School	3.8%	503
Winter Haven Elementary 21c	4.3%	494
Purcell Elementary School	2.1%	474
Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School	2.2%	465
Polk Full Time Eschool	3.3%	455
Bethune Academy	3%	430
Janie Howard Wilson School	3%	430
Crystal Lake Elementary School	5.6%	425
Highland City Elementary School	6.5%	415
Carlton Palmore Elementary School	3.9%	413
Griffin Elementary School	3.2%	411
John Snively Elementary School	3.5%	397
Inwood Elementary School	3.6%	393
Union Academy	3.9%	389
Southwest Elementary School	4.7%	380
Oscar J. Pope Elementary School	2.6%	378
Auburndale Central Elementary School	5.1%	372
Polk State College Collegiate High School	3.6%	334
James E. Stephens Elementary School	3.4%	328
Dixieland Elementary School	5.8%	325
Alturas Elementary School	3.7%	296
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Charter High School	4.7%	254
Magnolia Montessori Academy	5.6%	178