For the third consecutive year, the Escambia County School District saw its student enrollment drop. Meanwhile Santa and Okaloosa counties have experienced steady growth.
The districts of Santa Rosa and Okaloosa this year alone increased by 733 and 455 students respectively.
Over the past five years, Escambia County has lost 284 students, Santa Rosa gained 1,595, and Okaloosa has seen its enrollment jump by 1,217 students.
With all the new jobs being created in Escambia County, the school district’s numbers should equal its neighboring counties. Apparently the people taking those new jobs are choosing to put their children in schools outside the ECSD.
Achieve Escambia needs to find out why.
| Student Enrolled By Year | |||
| Escambia | Santa Rosa | Okaloosa | |
| 2012-13 | 40670 | 25878 | 29876 |
| 2013-14 | 40753 | 25892 | 30216 |
| 2014-15 | 40735 | 26330 | 30415 |
| 2015-16 | 40655 | 26740 | 30638 |
| 2016-17 | 40386 | 27473 | 31093 |
| Five-yr chg | -284 | 1595 | 1217 |