Panama City Reporter

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

Of the 27,675 students attending Bay County schools, 61.6% were white. Black students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 14.6% of Bay County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Bay County, representing 62.1% of the student body.

Bay Virtual Instruction Program had the most diverse student body in the county, including Black, white, Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 1.3% 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
A. Crawford Mosley High School	White	71.8%	1,838
A. Gary Walsingham Academy	White	58.2%	423
Amikids Maritime Academy	White	85.2%	88
Bay Haven Charter Academy	White	66.7%	765
Bay Haven Charter Middle School	White	67.4%	432
Bay High School	White	45.2%	1,298
Bay Regional Juvenile Detention Center	White	50%	28
Bay Virtual Franchise	White	76.9%	26
Bay Virtual Instruction Program	White	75.8%	91
Breakfast Point Academy	White	66.9%	1,044
Callaway Elementary School	White	44.7%	537
Cedar Grove Elementary School	Black	35.2%	554
Central High School	White	60.4%	106
Chautauqua Charter School	White	70.2%	47
Deane Bozeman School	White	90.2%	1,648
Deer Point Elementary School	White	74.4%	707
Hiland Park Elementary School	White	53.6%	676
Hutchison Beach Elementary School	White	57.4%	585
J. R. Arnold High School	White	67.1%	1,637
Jinks Middle School	Black	35.9%	583
Lucille Moore Elementary School	Hispanic	34%	524
Lynn Haven Elementary School	White	75.2%	676
Margaret K. Lewis in Millville	White	61.5%	169
Merriam Cherry Street Elementary School	White	39.1%	381
Merritt Brown Middle School	White	76.9%	680
Mowat Middle School	White	59.9%	818
New Horizons Learning Center	White	57.1%	91
North Bay Haven Career Academy	White	71.3%	882
North Bay Haven Charter Academy Elementary School	White	72.2%	694
North Bay Haven Charter Academy Middle School	White	65.9%	525
Northside Elementary School	White	51.9%	561
Palm Bay Elementary School	White	34.1%	317
Palm Bay Preparatory Academy 6-12	White	43.8%	201
Parker Elementary School	White	38.1%	502
Patronis Elementary School	White	67.8%	634
Rising Leaders Academy	White	53.1%	309
Rosenwald High School	White	56.8%	324
Rutherford High School	White	35.8%	1,423
Southport Elementary School	White	89.3%	503
St. Andrew School at Oakland Terrace	White	50%	68
Surfside Middle School	White	64.5%	825
Tommy Smith Elementary School	White	69.9%	731
Tyndall Academy	White	56.3%	908
University Academy Sabl Inc.	White	80.1%	707
Waller Elementary School	White	88.1%	420
West Bay Elementary School	White	70.6%	357