Palm Coast Times

There were 44 multiracial students enrolled in Putnam County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 91.6% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Putnam County School District welcomed 664 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, multiracial students comprised 6% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the district.

Putnam County School District roughly covers 15 schools within Putnam County, and has a main office in Palatka.

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 Year	Total District Enrollment	Total multiracial Students	multiracial %
2023-24	664	44	6%%
2022-23	10,293	521	5.1%%
2021-22	10,227	483	4.7%%
2020-21	10,319	462	4.5%%
2019-20	10,863	469	4.3%%
2018-19	10,998	476	4.3%%
2017-18	11,150	452	4.1%%