Nature Coast Times

The majority of students in Citrus County schools were white in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 15,951 students attending Citrus County schools, 77.3% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 10.8% of Citrus County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Citrus County, representing 77.1% of the student body.

Forest Ridge Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 63.3% white students, 20.3% Hispanic students, 7.9% multiracial students, 4.1% Black students, and 4% Asian students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 1.7% when compared to the previous year.

Florida's choice to stick with in-person classes during the pandemic may have shielded students from significant learning setbacks. A recent Harvard study highlighted that districts heavily reliant on remote learning saw the most significant declines in student achievement amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Interestingly, gaps in math achievement by race and school poverty did not widen in school districts in states such as Texas and Florida and elsewhere that remained largely in-person, said Thomas Kane, professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

School Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Academy of Environmental Science	White	89.7%	117
Camp E-Nini Hassee	White	65%	20
Central Ridge Elementary School	White	73.2%	723
Citrus Eschool 6-12	White	74.1%	174
Citrus Eschool K-5	White	71.2%	52
Citrus High School	White	80.8%	1,503
Citrus Springs Elementary School	White	72.5%	817
Citrus Springs Middle School	White	71.1%	821
Crest School	White	76.6%	111
Crystal River High School	White	79.7%	1,249
Crystal River Middle School	White	78.7%	900
Crystal River Primary School	White	79.2%	654
Cypress Creek Treatment Center	Black	71%	69
Floral City Elementary School	White	83.6%	389
Forest Ridge Elementary School	White	63.3%	708
Hernando Elementary School	White	77.6%	813
Homosassa Elementary School	White	87.1%	411
Inverness Middle School	White	82.2%	1,017
Inverness Primary School	White	80.8%	683
Lecanto High School	White	76%	1,630
Lecanto Middle School	White	78.2%	809
Lecanto Primary School	White	78.8%	820
Pace Center for Girls	White	85.7%	28
Pleasant Grove Elementary School	White	80.2%	621
Rock Crusher Elementary School	White	77.4%	665
Srmi @ Renaissance Center	White	73.5%	147