Okeechobee Times

There were 267 Hispanic students enrolled in Okeechobee County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 90.6% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Okeechobee County School District welcomed 548 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 48% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the district.

Okeechobee County School District roughly covers 11 schools within Okeechobee County, and has a main office in Okeechobee.

Among the 11 schools in Okeechobee County School District, Everglades Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 848 students.

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 Year	Total District Enrollment	Total Hispanic Students	Hispanic %
2023-24	548	267	48%%
2022-23	6,398	2,830	44.2%%
2021-22	6,404	2,781	43.4%%
2020-21	6,263	2,711	43.3%%
2019-20	6,627	2,771	41.8%%
2018-19	6,484	2,675	41.3%%
2017-18	6,410	2,626	41%%