Palm Coast Times

There were 121 Hispanic students enrolled in Putnam County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 94.1% 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, Hispanic students comprised 18% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

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

Among the 15 schools in Putnam County School District, Middleton-Burney Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 602 students.

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 Hispanic Students	Hispanic %
2023-24	664	121	18%%
2022-23	10,293	2,048	19.9%%
2021-22	10,227	1,985	19.4%%
2020-21	10,319	1,997	19.4%%
2019-20	10,863	2,091	19.2%%
2018-19	10,998	2,072	18.8%%
2017-18	11,150	2,023	18.1%%