NC Florida News

There were 87 Hispanic students enrolled in Gilchrist County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 76.5% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Gilchrist County School District welcomed 670 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 12% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

Gilchrist County School District roughly covers five schools within Gilchrist County, and has a main office in Trenton.

Among the five schools in Gilchrist County School District, Bell Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 87 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	670	87	12%%
2022-23	2,839	370	13%%
2021-22	2,796	348	12.4%%
2020-21	2,736	312	11.4%%
2019-20	2,851	303	10.6%%
2018-19	2,753	263	9.6%%
2017-18	2,673	255	9.5%%