Okeechobee Times

Okeechobee County School District's ninth-grade had the highest student enrollment per grade in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Overall, there were 548 students enrolled in district’s ninth-grade in the 2023-24 school year, making up 8.6% of the student body in the district.

The number of students in the ninth-grade fell by 3% compared to the year before.

Okeechobee County School District also had a high enrollment for the seventh-grade, the second highest recorded in the district.

Within the district, Okeechobee High School had the most ninth-grade students in the 2023-24 school year. Okeechobee Virtual Franchise had the fewest.

Data showed that Okeechobee County School District enrolled a total of 6,337 students in the 2023-24 school year, the 30th lowest enrollment in Florida.

It was also ranked 30th lowest in the year before.

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.

Schools	Number of Students
Central Elementary School	602
Everglades Elementary School	884
North Elementary School	558
Okeechobee Achievement Academy	179
Okeechobee High School	1,741
Okeechobee Virtual Franchise	61
Osceola Middle School	915
Seminole Elementary School	492
South Elementary School	536
Tantie	63
Yearling Middle School	625
Total Okeechobee County School District	6,337