There were 429 Black students enrolled in Washington County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 1.2% increase from the 424 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Data showed that Washington County welcomed a total of 3,219 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 13.3% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the nine schools in Washington County, Kate M. Smith Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 170 students, making up 17.6% of the school’s total student body.
Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.
A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.
| School name | % of Black Students Enrolment | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Kate M. Smith Elementary School | 17.6% | 964 |
| Vernon Elementary School | 8.3% | 604 |
| Chipley High School | 13.5% | 555 |
| Roulhac Middle School | 15.4% | 408 |
| Vernon High School | 12.4% | 331 |
| Vernon Middle School | 11.6% | 258 |
