Orlando Standard

Hispanic students made up the largest ethnic group enrolled in Orange County County school districts during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 216,597 students attending Orange County district schools, 43.9% were Hispanic. White students were the second largest ethnicity in Orange County districts (24.8%).

In the previous school year, hispanic students were the most common group in Orange County districts, representing 43.5% of the student body.

Orange County School District and FL Virtual School District had the most diverse student body in the county, which included Asian, white, Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and multiracial students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county dropped 0.2% when compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Orange County.

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.

District	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Orange County School District	Hispanic	44%	207,695
FL Virtual School District	White	47%	8,902