Emerald Coast Times

Santa Rosa County School District's 10th-grade had the highest student enrollment per grade in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Overall, there were 2,506 students enrolled in district’s 10th-grade in the 2023-24 school year, making up 8.4% of the student body in the district.

The number of students in the 10th-grade fell by 4.9% compared to the year before.

Santa Rosa County School District also had a high enrollment for the ninth-grade, the second highest recorded in the district.

Within the district, Navarre High School had the most 10th-grade students in the 2023-24 school year. Learning Academy of Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa Online Virtual Instruction Program, and Hospital Homebound had the fewest.

Data showed that Santa Rosa County School District enrolled a total of 29,824 students in the 2023-24 school year, the 26th highest enrollment in Florida.

It was also ranked 26th highest 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
Avalon Middle School	768
Bagdad Elementary School	504
Bennett C. Russell Elementary School	876
Berryhill Elementary School	865
Central School	696
Chumuckla Elementary School	338
Coastal Connections Academy	260
East Bay K-8 School	1,081
East Milton Elementary School	771
Gulf Breeze Elementary School	880
Gulf Breeze High School	1,977
Gulf Breeze Middle School	914
High Road	123
Hobbs Middle School	724
Holley-Navarre Intermediate School	708
Holley-Navarre Middle School	803
Holley-Navarre Primary School	651
Hospital Homebound	28
Jay Elementary School	488
Jay High School	506
Learning Academy of Santa Rosa	89
Martin Luther King Middle School	681
Milton High School	2,027
Navarre High School	2,430
Oriole Beach Elementary School	771
Pace High School	2,284
Pea Ridge Elementary School	822
S. S. Dixon Intermediate School	640
S. S. Dixon Primary School	629
Santa Rosa Online Virtual Instruction Program	22
Santa Rosa Virtual Franchise	130
T. R. Jackson PreK Center	182
Thomas L. Sims Middle School	850
W. H. Rhodes Elementary School	760
West Navarre Intermediate School	777
West Navarre Primary School	668
Woodlawn Beach Middle School	945
Total Santa Rosa County School District	29,824