Hispanic students were most represented ethnicity in St. Lucie County schools 2023-24 school year

FL Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. 2023 | Commissioner of Education

By Treasure Coast Sun

Sep 19, 2024

Hispanic students made up the largest ethnic group enrolled in St. Lucie County County school districts during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 46,987 students attending St. Lucie County schools, 34.7% were Hispanic. Black students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 33.4% of St. Lucie County students.

In the previous school year, Hispanic students were also the most common ethnicity in St. Lucie County, representing 33.8% of the student body.

Village Green Environmental Studies School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 32.3% Hispanic students, 29.5% white students, 29.3% Black students, and 8.2% multiracial students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 2.9% 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.

Ethnicities in St. Lucie County in 2023-24 School Year

Students' Ethnicity Percentage in St. Lucie County Schools in 2023-24 School Year

School Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Acceleration Academy	White	40.7%	364
Allapattah Flats K-8	Hispanic	38.6%	1,312
Bayshore Elementary School	Black	39.2%	871
Chester A. Moore Elementary School	Black	63.4%	429
Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie	Black	42.5%	468
Dale Cassens Education Complex	Black	64.2%	212
Dan McCarty Middle School	Black	53.9%	711
Data House	Black	< 10%	14
FAU/SLCSD Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Traditio	White	38.4%	1,501
Fairlawn Elementary School	Hispanic	38.2%	646
Floresta Elementary School	Hispanic	35.9%	651
Forest Grove Middle School	Black	40.7%	853
Fort Pierce Central High School	Hispanic	40.4%	3,187
Fort Pierce Westwood Academy the W.E.S.T. Prep Magnet	Black	49.4%	1,956
Frances K. Sweet Elementary School	Black	69.8%	364
Independence Classical Academy	White	68%	472
Lakewood Park Elementary School	Black	40.2%	640
Lawnwood Elementary School	Black	45.1%	783
Lincoln Park Academy	Black	39.6%	1,680
Manatee Academy K-8	Black	34.4%	1,723
Mariposa Elementary School	Hispanic	42.1%	756
Morningside Elementary School	White	49.3%	667
Northport K-8 School	Hispanic	35.2%	1,265
Oak Hammock K-8 School	Hispanic	37.3%	1,704
Pace Center for Girls Treasure Coast	White	46%	37
Parkway Elementary School	Black	39.5%	545
Performance Based Preparatory Academy	Black	36.2%	141
Port St. Lucie High School	Hispanic	32.4%	1,811
Renaissance Charter School at Tradition	Hispanic	38.9%	1,147
Renaissance Charter School of St. Lucie	Black	35.1%	1,415
Rivers Edge Elementary School	White	33.5%	747
Samuel S. Gaines Academy of Emerging Technologies	Hispanic	49.6%	702
Savanna Ridge Elementary School	White	32.1%	471
Somerset Academy Bethany	Hispanic	35.9%	482
Somerset Academy St. Lucie	Hispanic	35.3%	669
Somerset College Preparatory Academy	Hispanic	35.3%	1,387
Southern Oaks Middle School	Black	35.4%	907
Southport Middle School	White	35%	866
St. Lucie County Jail - Rock Road Academy	Black	66.7%	24
St. Lucie Detention Center	Black	44.6%	65
St. Lucie Elementary School	Black	56.7%	662
St. Lucie Virtual Instruction Program	White	76.9%	13
St. Lucie West Centennial High School	Hispanic	34.3%	2,702
St. Lucie West K-8 School	Hispanic	37.2%	1,663
Tradition Preparatory High School	Hispanic	38.2%	965
Treasure Coast High School	Black	35.9%	3,114
Village Green Environmental Studies School	Hispanic	32.3%	597
Weatherbee Elementary School	Hispanic	45.9%	728
West Gate K-8 School	Hispanic	33.7%	1,582
White City Elementary School	Hispanic	44.3%	504
Windmill Point Elementary School	Hispanic	36.4%	1,058