Emerald Coast Times

There were 82 multiracial students enrolled in Okaloosa County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 97.3% 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, multiracial students comprised 12% of the student body to be the third 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, Crestview High School recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 284 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 multiracial Students	multiracial %
2023-24	677	82	12%%
2022-23	32,733	3,084	9.4%%
2021-22	32,340	2,957	9.1%%
2020-21	31,614	2,846	9%%
2019-20	32,461	2,885	8.9%%
2018-19	31,856	2,773	8.7%%
2017-18	31,683	2,664	8.4%%