Panama City Reporter

There were 159 Black students enrolled in Bay District Schools in the 2023-24 school year, 95.9% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Bay District Schools welcomed one students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 8% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the district.

Bay District Schools roughly covers 48 schools within Bay County, and has a main office in Panama City.

Among the 48 schools in Bay District Schools, Rutherford High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 476 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 Black Students	Black %
2023-24	1	159	8%%
2022-23	27,324	3,855	14.1%%
2021-22	26,199	3,589	13.7%%
2020-21	25,280	3,384	13.4%%
2019-20	25,109	3,298	13.1%%
2018-19	28,129	4,330	15.4%%
2017-18	28,076	4,221	15%%