Tallahassee Sun

Wakulla County School District's third-grade had the highest student enrollment per grade in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Overall, there were 435 students enrolled in district’s third-grade in the 2023-24 school year, making up 8.5% of the student body in the district.

The number of students in the third-grade grew by 13.3% compared to the year before.

Wakulla County School District also had a high enrollment for the first-grade, the second highest recorded in the district.

Within the district, Shadeville Elementary School had the most third-grade students in the 2023-24 school year. Wakulla Institute had the fewest.

Data showed that Wakulla County School District enrolled a total of 5,134 students in the 2023-24 school year, the 26th lowest enrollment in Florida.

It was also ranked 26th lowest in the year before.

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.

Schools	Number of Students
Crawfordville Elementary School	659
District Pre-K Programs	248
Medart Elementary School	413
Riversink Elementary School	517
Riversprings Middle School	529
Shadeville Elementary School	648
Wakulla Coast Charter School of Arts Science & Technology	165
Wakulla High School	1,386
Wakulla Institute	64
Wakulla Middle School	505
Total Wakulla County School District	5,134