Panama City Reporter

There were 3,701 Hispanic students enrolled in Bay County schools in the 2023-24 school year, a 6.3% increase from the 3,483 Hispanic students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Bay County welcomed a total of 27,343 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 13.5% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 47 schools in Bay County, Rutherford High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 274 students, making up 19.3% of the school's total student body.

Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.

A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.

School name	% of Hispanic Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
A. Crawford Mosley High School	10.6%	1,838
Deane Bozeman School	5.4%	1,648
J. R. Arnold High School	14.3%	1,637
Rutherford High School	19.3%	1,423
Bay High School	17.6%	1,298
Breakfast Point Academy	14.1%	1,044
Tyndall Academy	16.1%	908
North Bay Haven Career Academy	11%	882
Surfside Middle School	15.3%	825
Mowat Middle School	13.4%	818
Bay Haven Charter Academy	11.8%	765
Tommy Smith Elementary School	11.1%	731
University Academy Sabl Inc.	6.2%	707
Deer Point Elementary School	9.8%	707
North Bay Haven Charter Academy Elementary School	11.1%	694
Merritt Brown Middle School	7.9%	680
Hiland Park Elementary School	19.7%	676
Lynn Haven Elementary School	7.2%	676
Patronis Elementary School	11.5%	634
Hutchison Beach Elementary School	16.9%	585
Jinks Middle School	21.4%	583
Northside Elementary School	19.1%	561
Cedar Grove Elementary School	17%	554
Callaway Elementary School	14.2%	537
North Bay Haven Charter Academy Middle School	13.7%	525
Lucille Moore Elementary School	34%	524
Southport Elementary School	4.2%	503
Parker Elementary School	19.1%	502
Bay Haven Charter Middle School	12%	432
A. Gary Walsingham Academy	15.4%	423
Waller Elementary School	8.8%	420
Merriam Cherry Street Elementary School	12.6%	381
West Bay Elementary School	19.6%	357
Rosenwald High School	10.5%	324
Palm Bay Elementary School	24%	317
Rising Leaders Academy	12.6%	309
Palm Bay Preparatory Academy 6-12	31.3%	201
Margaret K. Lewis in Millville	10.1%	169
Central High School	16%	106