Nature Coast Times

There were 102 white students enrolled in Citrus County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 99.2% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Citrus County School District welcomed 115 students during the 2023-24 school year, all of whom identified as white.

Citrus County School District roughly covers 24 schools within Citrus County, and has a main office in Inverness.

Among the 24 schools in Citrus County School District, Lecanto High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 1,289 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	115	102	88%%
2022-23	15,951	12,336	77.3%%
2021-22	15,691	12,302	78.4%%
2020-21	15,413	12,237	79.4%%
2019-20	15,611	12,460	79.8%%
2018-19	15,470	12,406	80.2%%
2017-18	15,542	12,498	80.4%%