Sarasota Review

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

Of the 45,314 students attending Sarasota County schools, 59.9% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 23.3% of Sarasota County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Sarasota County, representing 60.4% of the student body.

Triad had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 41.7% Black students, 26.1% white students, 22.6% Hispanic students, and 8.7% multiracial students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 0.5% 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
Alta Vista Elementary School	Hispanic	48.4%	473
Ashton Elementary School	White	73%	982
Atwater Elementary School	White	61.9%	853
Bay Haven School of Basics Plus	White	46.9%	578
Booker High School	Hispanic	47%	1,395
Booker Middle School	Hispanic	48.4%	961
Brentwood Elementary School	White	51.4%	562
Brookside Middle School	White	44.7%	703
Children First	White	76.7%	30
Community Haven for Adults and Children With Disabilities I	White	< 10%	< 10
Cranberry Elementary School	White	66.6%	779
Dreamers Academy	Hispanic	63.4%	440
Emma E. Booker Elementary School	Black	51.3%	435
Englewood Elementary School	White	79.3%	555
Ese Special Programs	Black	< 10%	< 10
Fruitville Elementary School	White	58%	747
Garden Elementary School	White	68%	509
Glenallen Elementary School	White	62.6%	760
Gocio Elementary School	Hispanic	53.8%	636
Gulf Gate Elementary School	White	61.9%	624
Heron Creek Middle School	White	63.8%	909
Imagine School at North Port	White	66.4%	1,177
Imagine School at Palmer Ranch	White	55.3%	476
Island Village Montessori School	White	68.3%	546
Lakeview Elementary School	White	74.9%	728
Lamarque Elementary School	White	69%	1,076
Laurel Nokomis School	White	74%	1,402
McIntosh Middle School	White	45.2%	761
North Port High School	White	61.8%	2,577
Oak Park School	White	54.3%	221
Phillippi Shores Elementary School	White	66.6%	709
Pine View School	White	56.9%	1,674
Riverview High School	White	61.6%	2,681
Sarasota Academy of the Arts	White	53.4%	176
Sarasota County Acceleration Academies	White	44.7%	94
Sarasota High School	White	55.5%	2,509
Sarasota Middle School	White	69.1%	1,308
Sarasota Military Academy	White	45.1%	1,099
Sarasota School of Arts/Sciences	White	56.9%	749
Sarasota Suncoast Academy	White	78.5%	817
Sarasota Virtual Academy (Virtual Franchise)	White	69.6%	23
Sarasota Virtual Instruction Program	White	75.3%	89
Selby Preschool	Black	< 10%	< 10
Sky Academy Englewood	White	77%	331
Sky Academy Venice	White	73%	281
Southside Elementary School	White	75.9%	681
State College of Fla Collegiate School-Venice	White	73.4%	237
Student Leadership Academy	White	86.7%	330
Suncoast Polytechnical High School	White	65%	566
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies	Black	41.8%	103
Tatum Ridge Elementary School	White	78.2%	833
Taylor Ranch Elementary School	White	80.6%	882
The Florida Center for Child and Family Development	White	< 10%	< 10
Toledo Blade Elementary School	White	70%	800
Triad	Black	41.7%	115
Tuttle Elementary School	Hispanic	60.7%	690
Venice Elementary School	White	78.3%	631
Venice Middle School	White	76%	724
Venice Senior High School	White	76.6%	2,562
Wilkinson Elementary School	White	40.8%	436
Woodland Middle School	White	62.2%	1,016