Hernando Reporter

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

Of the 24,015 students attending Hernando County schools, 56.4% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 27.5% of Hernando County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Hernando County, representing 58.2% of the student body.

Moton Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 47.4% white students, 22.4% Black students, 21% Hispanic students, and 8.2% multiracial students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county dropped 0.2% 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.

School Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Brooksville Elementary School	White	63.1%	672
Brooksville Engineering Science and Technology (B.E.S.T.) a	White	62.9%	97
Central High School	White	48.8%	1,452
Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math	White	65.6%	1,467
Chocachatti Elementary School	White	61.6%	775
D. S. Parrott Middle School	White	61.3%	728
Deltona Elementary School	White	52.3%	855
Eastside Elementary School	White	57.3%	743
Endeavor Academy	White	50.3%	185
Explorer K-8	White	46.2%	1,578
Fox Chapel Middle School	White	50.8%	779
Frank W. Springstead High School	White	54%	1,893
Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology	White	67.7%	217
Gulf Coast Elementary School	White	64.3%	112
Hernando County Jail	Black	< 10%	< 10
Hernando Eschool Virtual Franchise	White	64.4%	59
Hernando High School	White	61.6%	1,270
John D. Floyd Elementary School	White	47.3%	955
Moton Elementary School	White	47.4%	671
Nature Coast Technical High School	White	57.7%	1,346
Pace Center for Girls	White	68%	25
Pine Grove Elementary School	White	57.6%	1,032
Powell Middle School	White	51.3%	1,061
Spring Hill Elementary School	White	49.9%	893
Suncoast Elementary School	White	52.3%	921
Weeki Wachee High School	White	63.8%	1,402
West Hernando Middle School	White	51.3%	645
Westside Elementary School	White	61.9%	535
Winding Waters K-8	White	68.6%	1,638