North Panhandle News

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

Of the 3,305 students attending Washington County schools, 74.6% were white. Black students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 13.8% of Washington County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Washington County, representing 74.8% of the student body.

Washington Virtual Instruction Program had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 66.7% white students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county dropped 0.2% when compared to the previous year.

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 Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Chipley High School	White	75.9%	555
Kate M. Smith Elementary School	White	70.6%	964
Roulhac Middle School	White	75.3%	408
Vernon Elementary School	White	78.8%	604
Vernon High School	White	76.4%	331
Vernon Middle School	White	77.1%	258
Washington Academy of Varying Exceptionalities (Wave)	White	70.6%	68
Washington Virtual Franchise	White	75%	16
Washington Virtual Instruction Program	White	66.7%	15