Manatee Review

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

Of the 4,901 students attending Hardee County schools, 61.8% were Hispanic. White students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 29.7% of Hardee County students.

In the previous school year, Hispanic students were also the most common ethnicity in Hardee County, representing 62.6% of the student body.

Wauchula Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 50.2% Hispanic students, 36.5% white students, 10.7% Black students, and 2.4% multiracial students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 0.8% 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
Bowling Green Elementary School	Hispanic	67.6%	302
Hardee Junior High School	Hispanic	63.3%	1,141
Hardee Senior High School	Hispanic	64.5%	1,403
Hardee Virtual Franchise	White	54.2%	24
Hilltop Elementary School	Hispanic	70.6%	286
North Wauchula Elementary School	Hispanic	62.8%	510
Pioneer Career Academy	Hispanic	69%	29
Wauchula Elementary School	Hispanic	50.2%	616
Zolfo Springs Elementary School	Hispanic	57.1%	590