Escambia County School District had most of their students enrolled in ninth-grade during 2023-24 school year

Escambia County School District’s ninth-grade had the highest student enrollment per grade in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Overall, there were 3,166 students enrolled in district’s ninth-grade in the 2023-24 school year, making up 8.5% of the student body in the district.

The number of students in the ninth-grade fell by 4.1% compared to the year before.

Escambia County School District also had a high enrollment for the third-grade, the second highest recorded in the district.

Within the district, J. M. Tate Senior High School had the most ninth-grade students in the 2023-24 school year. Hospital & Homebound, Escambia Westgate Center, and Escambia School. District. Jail Prog. had the fewest.

Data showed that Escambia County School District enrolled a total of 37,203 students in the 2023-24 school year, the 23rd highest enrollment in Florida.

It was also ranked 23rd highest in the year before.

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.