Manny Diaz,Jr., Commissioner of education at Florida Department of Education | https://www.fldoe.org/about-us/commissioner.stml
Manny Diaz,Jr., Commissioner of education at Florida Department of Education | https://www.fldoe.org/about-us/commissioner.stml
Data showed that Marion County School District welcomed 333 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 30% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the district.
Marion County School District roughly covers 57 schools within Marion County, and has a main office in Ocala.
Among the 57 schools in Marion County School District, West Port High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 576 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 | 333 | 102 | 30%% |
| 2022-23 | 44,493 | 8,656 | 19.5%% |
| 2021-22 | 42,678 | 8,384 | 19.6%% |
| 2020-21 | 41,177 | 8,195 | 19.9%% |
| 2019-20 | 43,273 | 8,515 | 19.7%% |
| 2018-19 | 42,941 | 8,449 | 19.7%% |
| 2017-18 | 43,119 | 8,717 | 20.2%% |
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