Union County
Union County is a public school district based in Lake Butler, Florida, serving 2,309 students in 6 schools. By enrollment it ranks #57 of the 66 Florida districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 14% of them. Its schools average 385 students each, fewer than the Florida median of 572. Its superintendent is Michael W. Ripplinger. It spends about $9,621 per student on day-to-day operations, 8% less than the Florida median. It has roughly 15.1 students per teacher.
How Union County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Union County | Florida median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $9,621 | $10,483 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $5,741 | $5,885 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $23.3 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $24.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 153 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 343 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 15.1 | 17.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 462 | 428 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Florida median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Michael W. Ripplinger
Source: Florida Department of Education, Superintendents, checked 2026-10-04. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Florida
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor CountyPerry | 2,524 | 8 | $10,997 | 17.3 | #56 |
| Union CountyLake Butler · this district | 2,309 | 6 | $9,621 | 15.1 | #57 |
| Madison CountyMadison | 2,267 | 12 | $10,576 | 17.3 | #58 |
| Calhoun CountyBlountstown | 2,031 | 6 | $10,661 | 15.9 | #59 |
| Dixie CountyCross City | 2,001 | 8 | $11,053 | 19.8 | #60 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Joint DistrictPreston, ID | 2,311 | $7,933 | 20.6 |
| Marquardt School District 15Glendale Hts, IL | 2,310 | $20,914 | 11.0 |
| Winston CountyDouble Springs, AL | 2,309 | $11,254 | 17.1 |
| Canton ISDCanton, TX | 2,309 | $9,200 | 13.9 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-fl-union-county