Polk Times

There were 63 Hispanic students enrolled in Polk County School District in the 2023-24 school year, 99.9% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Polk County School District welcomed 157 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 40% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the district.

Polk County School District roughly covers 151 schools within Polk County, and has a main office in Bartow.

Among the 151 schools in Polk County School District, Palmetto Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 1,816 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 Hispanic Students	Hispanic %
2023-24	157	63	40%%
2022-23	114,483	47,036	41.1%%
2021-22	110,253	43,823	39.7%%
2020-21	105,368	40,139	38.1%%
2019-20	107,696	39,874	37%%
2018-19	105,673	37,970	35.9%%
2017-18	104,136	35,791	34.4%%