Okeechobee Times

Hispanic students made up the largest ethnic group enrolled in Glades County County school districts during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 1,792 students attending Glades County schools, 44.1% were Hispanic. White students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 30.7% of Glades County students.

In the previous school year, Hispanic students were also the most common ethnicity in Glades County, representing 41.6% of the student body.

West Glades School had the most diverse student body in the county, including Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, multiracial, and Alaskan Native or American Indian students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county dropped 1.5% when compared to the previous 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 Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Glades West	Hispanic	< 10%	< 10
Moore Haven Elementary School	Hispanic	51.5%	371
Moore Haven Middle High School.	Hispanic	44.7%	495
Pemayetv Emahakv Charter Our Way School	Alaska_native	51%	294
West Glades School	Hispanic	52.1%	628