NC Florida News

There were 78 Asian students enrolled in Columbia County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 3.7% decrease from the 81 Asian students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Columbia County welcomed a total of 9,785 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Asian students comprised 0.8% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 17 schools in Columbia County, Columbia High School recorded the highest enrollment of Asian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 28 students, making up 1.6% of the school's total student body.

Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.

A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.

School name	% of Asian Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Columbia High School	1.6%	1,727
Lake City Middle School	1.1%	941
Belmont Academy	2.4%	823
Westside Elementary School	2.8%	714