Palm Coast Times

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

Of the 51,944 students attending St. Johns County district schools, 68.3% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity in St. Johns County districts (13.1%).

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in St. Johns County districts, representing 68.2% of the student body.

St. Johns County School District had the most diverse student body in the county, which included Asian, white, Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and multiracial students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county increased by 2.6% when compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with St. Johns County.

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.

District	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
St. Johns County School District	White	68%	51,434
Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind	White	46%	510