Emerald Coast Times

There were 4,913 Hispanic students enrolled in Okaloosa County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 10.2% increase from the 4,460 Hispanic 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, Hispanic students comprised 15.2% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 50 schools in Okaloosa County, Choctawhatchee Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 353 students, making up 20.8% 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 Hispanic Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Crestview High School	9.2%	2,397
Niceville Senior High School	8.6%	1,998
Choctawhatchee Senior High School	20.8%	1,701
Fort Walton Beach High School	19.4%	1,558
Baker School	2.8%	1,461
Davidson Middle School	10%	1,154
C. W. Ruckel Middle School	11%	1,054
Riverside Elementary School	14.1%	991
Liza Jackson Preparatory School	12.1%	977
Antioch Elementary School	16.8%	965
Destin Elementary School	16.4%	933
Bluewater Elementary School	11.8%	914
Shoal River Middle School	13.4%	895
Destin Middle School	14.6%	851
Walker Elementary School	9.6%	848
Northwood Elementary School	9.4%	840
James E. Plew Elementary School	10.5%	820
Bob Sikes Elementary School	12.3%	813
Max Bruner Junior Middle School	24.2%	739
W. C. Pryor Middle School	40.2%	679
Addie R. Lewis School	12.9%	677
Elliott Point Elementary School	24.9%	598
Wright Elementary School	47.1%	590
Shalimar Elementary School	20.5%	589
Okaloosa Online Non Franchised	10.5%	589
Longwood Elementary School	44.1%	574
Clifford Meigs Middle School	12.4%	558
Destin High School	10.4%	557
Lula J. Edge Elementary School	9%	543
Florosa Elementary School	21.1%	531
Kenwood Elementary School	20.4%	525
Annette P. Edwins Elementary School	23.1%	464
Laurel Hill School	5%	463
Mary Esther Elementary School	25.7%	444
Eglin Elementary School	23.5%	429
Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College	10.9%	423
Okaloosa Stemm Center	14.2%	359
Southside Primary School	10.9%	267
Okaloosa Academy	13.4%	157
Northwest Florida Ballet Academie	10.9%	137
Silver Sands-Excep. Children	17.9%	106