Okeechobee Times

Okeechobee County School District had a decrease in student enrollment during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education. Overall, there was a total of 548 students enrolled in the district in the academic year.

The most represented ethnicity among Okeechobee County School District students was Hispanic, accounting for 48% of the student population.

Additionally, the largest portion of students in the district are enrolled in elementary school grades, making up 44.9% of the total enrollment.

Okeechobee County School District covers 11 schools within Okeechobee County, with its main office in Okeechobee.

Among the 11 schools in Okeechobee County School District, Okeechobee High School recorded the highest enrollment of 1,741 students in the 2023-24 school 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	Total Enrollment
Okeechobee High School	1,741
Osceola Middle School	915
Everglades Elementary School	884
Yearling Middle School	625
Central Elementary School	602
North Elementary School	558
South Elementary School	536
Seminole Elementary School	492
Okeechobee Achievement Academy	179
Tantie	63
Okeechobee Virtual Franchise	61