South Lake Today

There were 39 Hispanic students enrolled in Lake County Schools District in the 2023-24 school year, 99.7% less than the previous year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Lake County Schools District welcomed 177 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 22% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the district.

Lake County Schools District roughly covers 57 schools within Lake County, and has a main office in Tavares.

Among the 57 schools in Lake County Schools District, East Ridge High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 1,057 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	177	39	22%%
2022-23	47,452	14,037	29.6%%
2021-22	45,845	12,994	28.3%%
2020-21	43,706	11,868	27.2%%
2019-20	44,798	11,845	26.4%%
2018-19	43,947	11,612	26.4%%
2017-18	43,174	11,078	25.7%%