Okeechobee Times

There were 2,830 Hispanic students enrolled in Okeechobee County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 0.1% increase from the 2,827 Hispanic students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Okeechobee County welcomed a total of 6,337 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 44.7% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 11 schools in Okeechobee County, Okeechobee High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 796 students, making up 45.7% of the school's total student body.

Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.

A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.

School name	% of Hispanic Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Okeechobee High School	45.7%	1,741
Everglades Elementary School	42.2%	774
Osceola Middle School	38%	711
Yearling Middle School	51%	625
North Elementary School	48.9%	558
Central Elementary School	48.7%	548
Seminole Elementary School	55.8%	541
South Elementary School	30%	536
Okeechobee Achievement Academy	46.9%	179
Tantie	20.6%	63
Okeechobee Virtual Franchise	29.5%	61