There were 8,752 Black students enrolled in Marion County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 1.7% increase from the 8,606 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Data showed that Marion County welcomed a total of 44,571 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 19.6% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 58 schools in Marion County, West Port High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 576 students, making up 19.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| West Port High School | 19.2% | 2,997 |
| Forest High School | 16.1% | 2,383 |
| Belleview High School | 10.7% | 1,835 |
| Vanguard High School | 33.5% | 1,634 |
| Belleview Middle School | 12.6% | 1,541 |
| Dunnellon High School | 17% | 1,428 |
| Lake Weir High School | 18.9% | 1,426 |
| Sunrise Elementary School | 27.2% | 1,275 |
| North Marion High School | 23% | 1,259 |
| Liberty Middle School | 20.3% | 1,184 |
| Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks | 22.3% | 1,112 |
| Lake Weir Middle School | 19.3% | 1,101 |
| Marion Oaks Elementary School | 15.3% | 1,050 |
| Saddlewood Elementary School | 24.2% | 1,000 |
| Fort King Middle School | 24.5% | 993 |
| Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School | 13.8% | 970 |
| Fort McCoy School | 1.7% | 940 |
| Osceola Middle School | 15.5% | 915 |
| Ward-Highlands Elementary School | 14.3% | 911 |
| Howard Middle School | 35.9% | 891 |
| Harbour View Elementary School | 7.7% | 857 |
| Maplewood Elementary School | 20.8% | 836 |
| College Park Elementary School | 24.5% | 824 |
| Dr. N. H. Jones Elementary School | 29.9% | 799 |
| North Marion Middle School | 28.5% | 772 |
| Greenway Elementary School | 21.7% | 746 |
| Romeo Elementary School | 4.5% | 737 |
| Ocala Springs Elementary School | 19% | 712 |
| South Ocala Elementary School | 27.7% | 710 |
| Dunnellon Middle School | 6.9% | 709 |
| Emerald Shores Elementary School | 25.1% | 698 |
| Legacy Elementary School | 24.9% | 691 |
| Shady Hill Elementary School | 12.3% | 683 |
| Belleview Elementary School | 10.5% | 675 |
| Belleview-Santos Elementary School | 10.7% | 666 |
| Dunnellon Elementary School | 6.9% | 640 |
| East Marion Elementary School | 2.7% | 603 |
| Wyomina Park Elementary School | 43.2% | 579 |
| Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School | 8.6% | 572 |
| Oakcrest Elementary School | 50.8% | 555 |
| Madison Street Academy of Visual and Performing Arts | 15% | 468 |
| Sparr Elementary School | 21.7% | 434 |
| Fessenden Elementary School | 28.5% | 431 |
| Eighth Street Elementary School | 12.7% | 386 |
| Reddick-Collier Elementary School | 35.5% | 355 |
| Anthony Elementary School | 30.6% | 333 |
| Marion Charter School | 14.8% | 230 |
| Ocali Charter Middle School | 14.9% | 194 |
| Silver River Mentoring and Instruction | 47.3% | 186 |
| Hillcrest | 19.9% | 161 |
| New Leaf Center | 50.4% | 123 |
| Marion Technical Institute | 27% | 111 |
| Ocala Center for Success and Independence | 57.4% | 68 |
| Marion Regional. Juvenile Detention Center | 36.5% | 63 |
| Pace Center for Girls Inc. | 39.5% | 38 |
| McSo Adults | 78.6% | 14 |
