South Orlando News

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

Of the 74,289 students attending Osceola County schools, 62.7% were Hispanic. White students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 19.9% of Osceola County students.

In the previous school year, Hispanic students were also the most common ethnicity in Osceola County, representing 62% of the student body.

Osceola Virtual Franchise (Secondary) had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 40.4% Hispanic students, 38.4% white students, 8.9% Black students, 6.4% multiracial students, and 5.4% Asian students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 1% when compared to the previous year.

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 Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Bellalago Charter Academy	Hispanic	50.8%	1,157
Boggy Creek Elementary School	Hispanic	74.6%	599
Bridgeprep Academy Osceola County	Hispanic	54.4%	746
Bridgeprep Academy of St.cloud	Hispanic	73.8%	669
Canoe Creek K-8	Hispanic	58.3%	1,197
Celebration High School	Hispanic	62.9%	2,529
Celebration School	Hispanic	44.3%	1,584
Central Avenue Elementary School	Hispanic	70.9%	598
Chestnut Elementary School for Science and Engineering	Hispanic	61%	728
Creative Inspiration Journey School of St. Cloud	Hispanic	51.4%	590
Cypress Elementary School	Hispanic	75.7%	470
Deerwood Elementary School	Hispanic	62.9%	490
Denn John Middle School	Hispanic	76.8%	856
Discovery Intermediate School	Hispanic	56.1%	892
East Lake Elementary School	Hispanic	63.7%	943
Flora Ridge Elementary School	Hispanic	71.5%	1,015
Four Corners Charter School	Hispanic	44.5%	1,026
Four Corners Upper School	Hispanic	60.4%	1,400
Gateway High School	Hispanic	74.5%	1,660
Harmony Community School	White	58.5%	1,047
Harmony High School	Hispanic	53.1%	2,795
Harmony Middle School	White	48.3%	1,077
Heritage Park Academy	Black	82.5%	57
Hickory Tree Elementary School	Hispanic	46.3%	984
Highlands Elementary School	Hispanic	80.9%	598
Horizon Middle School	Hispanic	62.3%	1,145
Hospital/Homebound Program	Hispanic	< 10%	< 10
Kissimmee Charter Academy	Hispanic	76.1%	715
Kissimmee Elementary School	Hispanic	79%	792
Kissimmee Middle School	Hispanic	77.7%	1,149
Koa Elementary School	Hispanic	60.4%	710
Lakeview Elementary School	Hispanic	54.5%	773
Liberty High School	Hispanic	54.5%	1,520
Lincoln-Marti Charter Schools (Osceola Campus)	Hispanic	68.1%	94
Main Street High School	Hispanic	69.3%	355
Mater Academy Preparatory High School.	Hispanic	75.3%	530
Mater Academy at St. Cloud	Hispanic	71%	607
Mater Brighton Lakes	Hispanic	70.5%	1,316
Mater Palms Academy	Hispanic	70.1%	863
Michigan Avenue Elementary School	Hispanic	51%	904
Mill Creek Elementary School	Hispanic	69.9%	687
Narcoossee Elementary School	Hispanic	53.9%	1,479
Narcoossee Middle School	Hispanic	61.4%	1,390
Neocity Academy	Hispanic	45.7%	429
Neptune Elementary School	Hispanic	71%	978
Neptune Middle School	Hispanic	74%	1,029
New Beginnings Education Center	Hispanic	59.7%	201
New Dimensions High School	Hispanic	60.1%	424
Oasis Residential Center	Black	< 10%	17
Osceola County School for the Arts	Hispanic	63.7%	993
Osceola High School	Hispanic	70.3%	2,428
Osceola Science Charter School	Hispanic	62.5%	1,144
Osceola Virtual Franchise (Secondary)	Hispanic	40.4%	203
P. M. Wells Charter Academy	Hispanic	71.9%	416
Parkway Middle School	Hispanic	77.7%	660
Partin Settlement Elementary School	Hispanic	64.8%	764
Pleasant Hill Elementary School	Hispanic	66.9%	718
Poinciana Academy of Fine Arts	Hispanic	57.6%	592
Poinciana High School	Hispanic	60.9%	2,573
Professional & Technical High School	Hispanic	70.4%	533
Reedy Creek Elementary School	Hispanic	61.4%	849
Renaissance Charter School at Boggy Creek	Hispanic	76.9%	915
Renaissance Charter School at Poinciana	Hispanic	63.5%	972
Renaissance Charter School at Tapestry	Hispanic	82.8%	1,420
Sports Leadership Arts Management (SLAM)	Hispanic	79.1%	163
St. Cloud Elementary School	Hispanic	47.6%	763
St. Cloud High School	Hispanic	56.8%	2,369
St. Cloud Middle School	Hispanic	52.5%	1,200
Sunrise Elementary School	Hispanic	61.3%	971
Thacker Avenue Elementary for International Studies	Hispanic	71.3%	624
Tohopekaliga	Hispanic	73.2%	2,890
UCP Osceola Charter School	Hispanic	61.7%	235
Ventura Elementary School	Hispanic	74.7%	775
Victory Charter School	Hispanic	93%	718
Victory Charter School K-5	Hispanic	89.3%	327
Westside K-8 School	Hispanic	63.7%	1,405
Zenith Accelerated Academy	Hispanic	74%	570