NC Florida News

There were 2,116 Black students enrolled in Columbia County schools in the 2022-23 school year, a 1.2% decrease from the 2,142 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Columbia County welcomed a total of 9,887 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 21.4% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 17 schools in Columbia County, Columbia High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 482 students, making up 27.7% of the school's total student body.

In 2022, Florida had more than 2.8 million students enrolled in its 4,202 schools. There were 163,558 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 17 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

Private school enrollment increased by more than 51,000 students in the 2021-22 school year, which was a notable rebound after the pandemic. In total, there were 416,084 students enrolled, marking the highest enrollment in private schools reported by the Florida Department of Education in 30 years.

According to WalletHub's analysis, Florida is ranked ninth out of 50 states in terms of its public school quality and safety.

School name	% of Black Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Columbia High School	27.7	1,737
Fort White High School	9.4	1,158
Lake City Middle School	30.6	970
Westside Elementary School	13.8	696
Fort White Elementary School	3.5	681
Eastside Elementary School	16.8	631
Summers Elementary School	34.2	517
Pinemount Elementary School	4.3	486
Richardson Sixth Grade Academy	27.6	450
Five Points Elementary School	22.8	400
Melrose Park Elementary School	44.2	398
Niblack Elementary School	83.3	282