Panama City Reporter

There were 69 Black students enrolled in Gulf County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 65% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Gulf County School District welcomed 512 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 13% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

Gulf County School District roughly covers five schools within Gulf County, and has a main office in Port St. Joe.

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	512	69	13%%
2022-23	1,928	197	10.2%%
2021-22	1,930	202	10.5%%
2020-21	1,840	203	11%%
2019-20	1,890	213	11.3%%
2018-19	1,956	236	12.1%%
2017-18	1,977	256	12.9%%