Tallahassee Sun

white students made up the largest ethnic group enrolled in Wakulla County County school districts during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 5,134 students attending Wakulla County schools, 78.1% were white. Black students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 10.7% of Wakulla County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Wakulla County, representing 80.1% of the student body.

Wakulla Institute had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 64.1% white students and 21.9% Black students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county dropped 0.4% when compared to the previous year.

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 Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Crawfordville Elementary School	White	76.8%	659
District Pre-K Programs	White	75.4%	248
Medart Elementary School	White	81.8%	413
Riversink Elementary School	White	82.4%	517
Riversprings Middle School	White	77.1%	529
Shadeville Elementary School	White	80.1%	648
Wakulla Coast Charter School of Arts Science & Technology	White	79.4%	165
Wakulla High School	White	77.1%	1,386
Wakulla Institute	White	64.1%	64
Wakulla Middle School	White	76.4%	505