NC Florida News

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

Of the 9,887 students attending Columbia County schools, 61.3% were white. Black students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 21.4% of Columbia County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Columbia County, representing 62.3% of the student body.

Summers Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 38.5% white students, 36% Black students, 13.3% Hispanic students, 10.3% multiracial students, and 1.9% Asian students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 0.4% 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
Belmont Academy	White	80.6%	759
Columbia City Elementary School	White	76.4%	615
Columbia High School	White	57.7%	1,737
Columbia Virtual Instruction Program	Black	< 10%	16
Eastside Elementary School	White	66.4%	631
Five Points Elementary School	White	60.5%	400
Fort White Elementary School	White	69.9%	681
Fort White High School	White	71.4%	1,158
Lake City Middle School	White	53.8%	970
Melrose Park Elementary School	Black	44.2%	398
Niblack Elementary School	Black	83.3%	282
Pathways Academy	White	55.2%	87
Pinemount Elementary School	White	71.2%	486
PreK Ese	Black	< 10%	< 10
Richardson Sixth Grade Academy	White	57.1%	450
Summers Elementary School	White	38.5%	517
Westside Elementary School	White	68.8%	696