East Panhandle News

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

Of the 5,935 students attending Suwannee County schools, 58.9% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 22% of Suwannee County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Suwannee County, representing 59.7% of the student body.

Suwannee Pineview Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 48.5% white students, 30.2% Hispanic students, 12.5% Black students, 6% multiracial students, and 2.6% Asian students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 1.2% 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
Branford Elementary School	White	74.8%	710
Branford High School	White	78.9%	754
Community Base Service Students	Black	< 10%	14
Riveroak Technical College	White	< 10%	< 10
Suwannee High School	White	53.8%	1,177
Suwannee Middle School	White	52%	989
Suwannee Opportunity School	White	56%	50
Suwannee Pineview Elementary School	White	48.5%	682
Suwannee Riverside Elementary School	White	56.1%	887
Suwannee Springcrest Elementary School	White	53.3%	574
Suwannee Virtual School	White	53.7%	95