Tampa News
Study Finds Inequality in Florida’s School Districts, Despite Overall Fairness Ranking
Although the United States is known for its strong education system, not all students have equal access to quality education. Shockingly, even within Florida – which ranks fifth in overall school district equality – disparities exist.
In a recent study by WalletHub, a personal finance website, 67 districts in Florida were analyzed to determine how equitably funding was distributed. The study used two metrics – average household income and expenditures for public schools per student – to evaluate each district’s fairness.
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The results revealed significant discrepancies in funding across Florida’s school districts. Here’s how each district performed:
Discover which districts are excelling and which ones are falling behind in providing fair education opportunities for all students.
| Rank* | School District | Score | Expeditures for Public Elementary & Secondary Schools per Pupil | Income by School District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | Monroe | 71.90 | $13,706 | $72,012 |
| 66 | Collier | 48.71 | $11,711 | $70,217 |
| 65 | St. Johns | 45.24 | $8,780 | $83,803 |
| 64 | Hendry | 40.74 | $9,016 | $36,978 |
| 63 | Sarasota | 38.86 | $11,778 | $64,644 |
| 62 | Gulf | 38.25 | $14,377 | $50,640 |
| 61 | Madison | 37.19 | $9,704 | $35,240 |
| 60 | Palm Beach | 32.19 | $11,035 | $65,015 |
| 59 | Desoto | 30.61 | $10,154 | $36,360 |
| 58 | Martin | 30.13 | $10,674 | $65,821 |
| 57 | Hardee | 30.08 | $9,484 | $40,165 |
| 56 | Levy | 29.36 | $9,788 | $38,951 |
| 55 | Nassau | 28.96 | $9,193 | $72,998 |
| 54 | Walton | 28.10 | $10,172 | $67,390 |
| 53 | Washington | 27.94 | $10,252 | $37,260 |
| 52 | Taylor | 27.25 | $10,125 | $38,295 |
| 51 | Holmes | 25.98 | $10,078 | $39,215 |
| 50 | Columbia | 24.09 | $9,204 | $44,818 |
| 49 | Putnam | 23.46 | $10,170 | $40,068 |
| 48 | Okeechobee | 22.63 | $9,108 | $46,097 |
| 47 | Santa Rosa | 22.16 | $8,952 | $70,663 |
| 46 | Jackson | 21.83 | $10,204 | $40,754 |
| 45 | Franklin | 21.77 | $13,064 | $48,814 |
| 44 | Highlands | 20.99 | $9,727 | $43,708 |
| 43 | Suwannee | 20.31 | $9,307 | $46,280 |
| 42 | Orange | 19.95 | $10,486 | $61,416 |
| 41 | Calhoun | 19.72 | $10,932 | $38,037 |
| 40 | Citrus | 18.64 | $9,587 | $45,689 |
| 39 | Seminole | 18.59 | $8,661 | $70,297 |
| 38 | Dixie | 18.06 | $10,409 | $41,674 |
| 37 | Hamilton | 17.18 | $11,138 | $38,300 |
| 36 | Clay | 16.92 | $8,805 | $68,657 |
| 35 | Marion | 16.71 | $9,611 | $46,587 |
| 34 | Wakulla | 16.40 | $8,976 | $67,480 |
| 33 | Manatee | 16.10 | $10,374 | $59,963 |
| 32 | Hernando | 15.79 | $9,002 | $50,280 |
| 31 | Glades | 15.49 | $11,041 | $39,709 |
| 30 | Broward | 13.88 | $9,968 | $60,922 |
| 29 | Sumter | 13.87 | $10,215 | $59,618 |
| 28 | Okaloosa | 12.56 | $9,180 | $64,373 |
| 27 | Volusia | 12.06 | $8,973 | $52,407 |
| 26 | Bradford | 11.53 | $10,704 | $43,580 |
| 25 | Pasco | 10.90 | $8,896 | $53,431 |
| 24 | Bay | 10.05 | $10,426 | $56,483 |
| 23 | Gilchrist | 8.59 | $10,278 | $47,381 |
| 22 | Indian River | 8.09 | $9,951 | $57,945 |
| 21 | Hillsborough | 7.94 | $9,438 | $60,566 |
| 20 | Baker | 7.45 | $9,059 | $62,299 |
| 19 | Escambia | 7.40 | $9,326 | $53,023 |
| 18 | Pinellas | 7.33 | $10,164 | $56,419 |
| 17 | Osceola | 7.16 | $8,872 | $55,538 |
| 16 | Lee | 7.02 | $9,527 | $59,608 |
| 15 | Union | 6.87 | $8,977 | $55,139 |
| 14 | Miami-Dade | 6.29 | $10,524 | $53,975 |
| 13 | Jefferson | 5.97 | $10,219 | $49,081 |
| 12 | Alachua | 5.31 | $10,094 | $50,089 |
| 11 | Charlotte | 4.87 | $10,619 | $52,724 |
| 10 | Gadsden | 4.49 | $11,878 | $41,135 |
| 9 | Lake | 3.52 | $9,190 | $55,792 |
| 8 | St. Lucie | 3.49 | $10,002 | $55,237 |
| 7 | Leon | 3.25 | $9,430 | $54,675 |
| 6 | Flagler | 3.16 | $8,895 | $57,536 |
| 5 | Lafayette | 2.98 | $10,016 | $51,734 |
| 4 | Brevard | 2.67 | $9,136 | $59,359 |
| 3 | Liberty | 2.29 | $12,482 | $39,121 |
| 2 | Duval | 1.01 | $9,258 | $56,769 |
| 1 | Polk | 0.80 | $10,435 | $51,535 |
“For expenditures, for each 1 percent above the state’s average we removed 1 point from a base score of 50 points for each district,” WalletHub said. “For household income, for each 1 percent above the state’s average we added 1 point to a base score of 50 points for each district. The inverse was true for each 1 percent below the state’s average.”
We’ve ranked them based on their total score, with the lowest value taking the top spot at number 1. Find out which districts prioritize fairness and equal opportunities for all students.
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