Enrollment
799
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Destin, FL
Destin Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Destin Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120138003211
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Destin Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Destin · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 30.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Destin Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Destin Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Destin, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Destin Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Destin Middle School
Destin Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Destin, Florida, enrolling 799 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 799 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 625 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #345.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 400 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Okaloosa also operates Crestview High School (2,376 students) and Niceville Senior High School (2,036 students) alongside Destin Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Destin Middle School compares
Destin Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.6% | ▼ 41% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 799 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
799
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 68% in Florida - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,590
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 400 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
88
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 66.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.0%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 4.1%
Asian 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 66.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.9, Destin Middle School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Okaloosa, which includes Destin Middle School.
$10,590
Per student
-5%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.0%
State 37.4%
Federal 19.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Destin Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Niceville Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Choctawhatchee Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Walton Beach High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baker School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Destin Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,376
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,036
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,550
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~799 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Destin Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Destin Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Okaloosa's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Destin Middle School
How many students attend Destin Middle School?
Destin Middle School has 799 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Destin, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Destin Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Destin Middle School is 18.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Destin Middle School?
30.6% of students at Destin Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Destin Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Destin Middle School is White at 66.2% of enrollment, in Destin, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Destin Middle School?
Destin Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Destin Middle School rank among public schools in Destin?
By Resource Investment Index, Destin Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Destin, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Destin on the city page.
Is Destin Middle School a good school?
Destin Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Okaloosa?
Besides Destin Middle School, Okaloosa also operates Crestview High School (2,376 students), Niceville Senior High School (2,036 students), and Choctawhatchee Senior High School (1,720 students). See the Okaloosa district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.