There were 2,244 Hispanic students enrolled in DeSoto County’s only school district in the 2023-24 school year, a 2.5% decrease from the 2,302 Hispanic students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Data showed that DeSoto County welcomed a total of 4,286 students at the time. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 52.4% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county. They were followed by white students with a count of 1,366 (31.9%), and Black students, totaling 514, or 12% of the student population.
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.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), Florida ranks 50th in the U.S. in terms of teacher salaries, only ahead of West Virginia.
| District | No. of Hispanic Students | Total District Enrollment | % of Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| School District of DeSoto County | 2,244 | 4,286 | 52.4% |
