Black enrollment rises in Indian River County schools during 2023-24 school year

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

By Treasure Coast Sun

Feb 23, 2025

There were 3,116 Black students enrolled in Indian River County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 1.7% increase from the 3,063 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Indian River County welcomed a total of 16,950 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 18.4% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 28 schools in Indian River County, Vero Beach High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 628 students, making up 22.6% 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 Indian River County in 2023-24 School Year

Enrollment in Indian River County Schools During 2023-24 School Year

School name	% of Black Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Vero Beach High School	22.6%	2,783
Sebastian River High School	14%	1,791
Storm Grove Middle School	14.3%	967
Imagine at South Vero	5.6%	880
Sebastian River Middle School	12.9%	838
Oslo Middle School	25.9%	834
Indian River Charter High School	6.4%	691
Treasure Coast Elementary School	8.5%	679
Citrus Elementary School	21.5%	651
Vero Beach Elementary School	23.8%	610
Fellsmere Elementary School	6.4%	591
Gifford Middle School	37.6%	587
Rosewood Magnet School	22.4%	541
Liberty Magnet School	12.6%	539
Osceola Magnet School	16.7%	528
Dodgertown Elementary School	52.4%	519
Beachland Elementary School	12.2%	492
Indian River Academy	25.1%	466
Glendale Elementary School	17.2%	431
Pelican Island Elementary School	17.9%	346
Sebastian Elementary School	18.8%	341
Sebastian Charter Junior High School	8.8%	296
North County Charter School	10.7%	261
St. Peter's Academy	48.9%	92
Wabasso School	32.2%	59
Alternative Center for Education	46.4%	56
Indian River Virtual Instruction Program	27%	37