Emerald Coast Times

There were 3,398 Black students enrolled in Okaloosa County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 2% decrease from the 3,468 Black students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Okaloosa County welcomed a total of 32,415 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 10.5% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 50 schools in Okaloosa County, Crestview High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 358 students, making up 14.9% of the school's total student body.

Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.

A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.

School name	% of Black Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Crestview High School	14.9%	2,397
Niceville Senior High School	4.7%	1,998
Choctawhatchee Senior High School	11.6%	1,701
Fort Walton Beach High School	13.7%	1,558
Baker School	2.1%	1,461
Davidson Middle School	10.1%	1,154
C. W. Ruckel Middle School	2.6%	1,054
Riverside Elementary School	16.2%	991
Liza Jackson Preparatory School	7.4%	977
Antioch Elementary School	11.4%	965
Destin Elementary School	6%	933
Bluewater Elementary School	1.2%	914
Shoal River Middle School	18.3%	895
Destin Middle School	4.5%	851
Walker Elementary School	14%	848
Northwood Elementary School	15.4%	840
James E. Plew Elementary School	2.1%	820
Bob Sikes Elementary School	9.1%	813
Max Bruner Junior Middle School	18.1%	739
W. C. Pryor Middle School	13.8%	679
Addie R. Lewis School	10.5%	677
Elliott Point Elementary School	14.2%	598
Wright Elementary School	13.6%	590
Shalimar Elementary School	11.7%	589
Okaloosa Online Non Franchised	12.1%	589
Longwood Elementary School	14.3%	574
Clifford Meigs Middle School	11.1%	558
Destin High School	6.5%	557
Lula J. Edge Elementary School	4.2%	543
Florosa Elementary School	11.1%	531
Kenwood Elementary School	11.8%	525
Annette P. Edwins Elementary School	17%	464
Laurel Hill School	9.9%	463
Mary Esther Elementary School	18.5%	444
Eglin Elementary School	15.9%	429
Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College	5.4%	423
Okaloosa Stemm Center	3.9%	359
Southside Primary School	13.1%	267
Okaloosa Academy	33.8%	157
Silver Sands-Excep. Children	17%	106
Richbourg School	16.2%	68
Okaloosa Youth Academy	46.2%	39
Okaloosa Regional Detention	39.4%	33
Crestview Youth Academy (Non Secure)	100%	23