Walton County Schools & Education
Walton County, Florida
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
44/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
91.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
91.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 89.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,677
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,118
School Score
44/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 36/100
State Score Position
#19
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Walton County
Measured School Summary
Walton County performs at an average level with a school score of 44/100 and a solid graduation rate of 91.0%.
Funding Context
At $6,677 per pupil, Walton County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 22% above the Florida average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Walton County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
23 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
44/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #19 of 67 Florida counties with school score data.
Completion
91.0%
1.2 pts above the state average
Funding context
$6,677
$559 above the state average
School coverage
23
1 district represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Walton County has 23 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Walton County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
WALTON carries most of the listed public-school system, with 23 of 23 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#19
of 67 Florida counties with school score data. The county score is 8 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
WALTON
Elementary to high school visible
11,575 students
23 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
WALTON is the largest listed district slice, with 23 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Walton County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Walton County Operates Consolidated District With Large Rural School Presence
Education data brief for Walton County, Florida.
In Walton County, the public education system is defined by a single consolidated district where 18 of the 23 schools are classified as rural. This rural concentration serves a total enrollment of 11,575 students, with South Walton High School being the largest campus at 1,235 students. The county’s graduation rate is 91.0 percent, which is slightly above the Florida average of 89.8 percent and the national average of 87.0 percent. Funding for these students stands at $6,677 per pupil, which is higher than the Florida state average of $6,118 but significantly lower than the national average of $13,000. The composite school score for the county is 43.8, exceeding the Florida average of 36.2 but trailing the national median of 50.0. The local school directory also identifies two charter schools and four alternative schools. Access the NCES directory to view specific school profiles.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
23
in Walton County
Reported Enrollment
11,575
23 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
2
9% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Walton County
23 Public Schools in Walton County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 23 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | WALTON | SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,235 |
| FREEPORT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Profile | WALTON | FREEPORT, 32439Rural: Distant | PK–4 | Primary | 1,123 |
| VAN R. BUTLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Profile | WALTON | SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459Town: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 1,013 |
| DUNE LAKES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459Rural: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 928 |
| EMERALD COAST MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 868 |
| WALTON HIGH SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32433Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 856 |
| PAXTON SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | PAXTON, 32538Rural: Remote | PK–12 | Other | 819 |
| WALTON MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32435Town: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 801 |
| FREEPORT MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | FREEPORT, 32439Rural: Distant | 5–8 | Middle | 700 |
| WEST DEFUNIAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32435Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 669 |
| FREEPORT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | FREEPORT, 32439Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 557 |
| MAUDE SAUNDERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32433Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 553 |
| MOSSY HEAD SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32433Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 439 |
| SEASIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459Rural: Distant | 5–12 | Charter | 403 |
| WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE) | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32433Town: Distant | PK–12 | Alternative | 215 |
| WALTON ACADEMY INC. | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32435Rural: Fringe | 5–12 | Charter | 181 |
| BAY SCHOOL | Record | WALTON | SANTA ROSA, 32459Rural: Distant | PK | Other | 146 |
| WALTON VIRTUAL FRANCHISE | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32435Rural: Fringe | 6–12 | Virtual | 31 |
| WALTON LEARNING CENTER | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32435Rural: Fringe | 6–12 | Alternative | 29 |
| WALTON VIRTUAL SCHOOL WCSD | Record | WALTON | DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32435Rural: Fringe | KG–12 | Virtual | 6 |
SOUTH WALTON HIGH SCHOOL
WALTON
SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459 / Rural: Fringe
FREEPORT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WALTON
FREEPORT, 32439 / Rural: Distant
VAN R. BUTLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WALTON
SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459 / Town: Fringe
DUNE LAKES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WALTON
SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459 / Rural: Distant
EMERALD COAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
WALTON
SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459 / Rural: Distant
WEST DEFUNIAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WALTON
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32435 / Rural: Fringe
MAUDE SAUNDERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WALTON
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32433 / Rural: Fringe
SEASIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL
WALTON
SANTA ROSA BEACH, 32459 / Rural: Distant
WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE)
WALTON
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, 32433 / Town: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,677
State avg $6,118
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Walton County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
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What is the graduation rate in Walton County?
How much does Walton County spend per student?
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.