Clay County Times

white students made up the largest ethnic group enrolled in Clay County County school districts during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 39,351 students attending Clay County schools, 56.4% were white. Black students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 17.5% of Clay County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Clay County, representing 57.5% of the student body.

Florida Youth Challenge Academy had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 45.5% white students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 0.4% when compared to the previous year.

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 Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Amikids Clay County	White	69.8%	43
Argyle Elementary School	Black	38.6%	810
Charles E. Bennett Elementary School	White	57.3%	574
Clay Charter Academy	Hispanic	32%	693
Clay High School	White	67.1%	1,706
Clay Hill Elementary School	White	89.6%	450
Clay Virtual Franchise	White	67.4%	141
Coppergate Elementary School	White	53.5%	606
Discovery Oaks Elementary School	Black	35%	939
Doctors Inlet Elementary School	White	57.8%	569
Elementary School R	White	59.7%	677
Fleming Island Elementary School	White	70.1%	659
Fleming Island High School	White	67.4%	1,862
Florida Youth Challenge Academy	White	45.5%	22
Green Cove Springs Junior High School	White	61.5%	792
Grove Park Elementary School	Black	40.6%	394
J. L. Wilkinson Elementary School	White	85.4%	679
Keystone Heights Elementary School	White	87%	821
Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School	White	89.5%	1,169
Lake Asbury Elementary School	White	73.9%	849
Lake Asbury Junior High School	White	69.2%	994
Lakeside Elementary School	White	52.7%	725
Lakeside Junior High School	White	59.2%	924
McRae Elementary School	White	87.3%	542
Middleburg Elementary School	White	82.2%	545
Middleburg High School	White	76.4%	1,856
Montclair Elementary School	White	51.9%	420
Oakleaf High School	Black	39.7%	2,364
Oakleaf Junior High School	Black	39.3%	993
Oakleaf Village Elementary School	Black	32.2%	1,055
Orange Park Elementary School	White	71.5%	480
Orange Park High School	White	38.8%	1,926
Orange Park Junior High School	White	33.8%	800
Pace Center for Girls Clay	White	51%	49
Plantation Oaks Elementary School	Black	39.6%	959
R. C. Bannerman Learning Center	White	51.2%	213
Rideout Elementary School	White	62.6%	696
Ridgeview Elementary School	White	54.4%	581
Ridgeview High School	White	47.7%	1,782
Robert M. Paterson Elementary School	White	70.3%	693
S. Bryan Jennings Elementary School	Black	31.4%	497
Shadowlawn Elementary School	White	77.4%	716
St. Johns Classical Academy	White	76.1%	858
Swimming Pen Creek Elementary School	White	62.2%	474
Thunderbolt Elementary School	White	64.3%	802
Tynes Elementary School	White	58.5%	988
W. E. Cherry Elementary School	White	40.5%	640
Wilkinson Junior High School	White	74.1%	779