South Lake Today

There were 72 white students enrolled in Lake County Schools District in the 2023-24 school year, 99.7% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Lake County Schools District welcomed 177 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, white students comprised 40% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the district.

Lake County Schools District roughly covers 57 schools within Lake County, and has a main office in Tavares.

Among the 57 schools in Lake County Schools District, East Ridge High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 999 students.

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.

School Year	Total District Enrollment	Total white Students	white %
2023-24	177	72	40%%
2022-23	47,452	21,982	46.3%%
2021-22	45,845	21,883	47.7%%
2020-21	43,706	21,572	49.4%%
2019-20	44,798	22,466	50.1%%
2018-19	43,947	22,225	50.6%%
2017-18	43,174	22,184	51.4%%