Emerald Coast Times

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

Of the 29,824 students attending Santa Rosa County schools, 74.2% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 9.2% of Santa Rosa County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Santa Rosa County, representing 76.5% of the student body.

T. R. Jackson PreK Center had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 62.1% white students, 15.9% Black students, 14.8% multiracial students, and 7.1% Hispanic students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county dropped 3.1% 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
Avalon Middle School	White	71.9%	768
Bagdad Elementary School	White	67.9%	504
Bennett C. Russell Elementary School	White	74%	876
Berryhill Elementary School	White	77.7%	865
Central School	White	87.6%	696
Chumuckla Elementary School	White	89.4%	338
East Bay K-8 School	White	70.8%	1,081
East Milton Elementary School	White	78.5%	771
Gulf Breeze Elementary School	White	84.6%	880
Gulf Breeze High School	White	79%	1,977
Gulf Breeze Middle School	White	84.9%	914
High Road	White	74%	123
Hobbs Middle School	White	72.4%	724
Holley-Navarre Intermediate School	White	62.3%	708
Holley-Navarre Middle School	White	63.1%	803
Holley-Navarre Primary School	White	66.2%	651
Hospital Homebound	Black	< 10%	< 10
Jay Elementary School	White	92.2%	488
Jay High School	White	93.7%	506
Learning Academy of Santa Rosa	White	67.4%	89
Martin Luther King Middle School	White	70.8%	681
Milton High School	White	72%	2,027
Navarre High School	White	68.7%	2,430
Oriole Beach Elementary School	White	78.5%	771
Pace High School	White	75.1%	2,284
Pace K-8	White	84.7%	1,012
Pea Ridge Elementary School	White	68.3%	822
S. S. Dixon Intermediate School	White	77.5%	640
S. S. Dixon Primary School	White	74.9%	629
Santa Rosa Adult School	White	79.3%	169
Santa Rosa Online Virtual Instruction Program	White	81.8%	22
Santa Rosa Virtual Franchise	White	74.6%	130
T. R. Jackson PreK Center	White	62.1%	182
Thomas L. Sims Middle School	White	75.8%	850
W. H. Rhodes Elementary School	White	68.7%	760
West Navarre Intermediate School	White	68.7%	777
West Navarre Primary School	White	68%	668
Woodlawn Beach Middle School	White	69.7%	945