Emerald Coast Times

There were 418 white students enrolled in Okaloosa County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 98% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Okaloosa County School District welcomed 677 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, white students comprised 61% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the district.

Okaloosa County School District roughly covers 50 schools within Okaloosa County, and has a main office in Fort Walton Beach.

Among the 50 schools in Okaloosa County School District, Niceville Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 1,520 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 white Students	white %
2023-24	677	418	61%%
2022-23	32,733	20,868	63.8%%
2021-22	32,340	21,114	65.3%%
2020-21	31,614	20,583	65.1%%
2019-20	32,461	21,239	65.4%%
2018-19	31,856	21,052	66.1%%
2017-18	31,683	21,221	67%%