Emerald Coast Times

There were 12 Asian students enrolled in Okaloosa County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 97.8% 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, Asian students comprised 1% of the student body to be the least 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.

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 Asian Students	Asian %
2023-24	677	12	1%%
2022-23	32,733	543	1.7%%
2021-22	32,340	520	1.6%%
2020-21	31,614	532	1.7%%
2019-20	32,461	567	1.7%%
2018-19	31,856	596	1.9%%
2017-18	31,683	592	1.9%%