Enrollment
1,550
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fort Walton Beach, FL
Fort Walton Beach High School
Federal NCES profile for Fort Walton Beach High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120138001351
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fort Walton Beach High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools.
- #11 of 14
- public schools in Fort Walton Beach · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 37.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Fort Walton Beach High School has class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Walton Beach High School ranks #11 of 14 public schools in Fort Walton Beach, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120138001351 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fort Walton Beach High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fort Walton Beach High School
Fort Walton Beach High School is a large high school in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, enrolling 1,550 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,550 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 386 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #267.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 388 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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.
Discipline events run high: 318 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,550 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 14 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 Fort Walton Beach High 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 Fort Walton Beach High School compares
Fort Walton Beach High 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 | 19.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.8% | ▼ 27% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,550 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,550
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Florida - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.1%
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 388 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
255
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 14 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 52.5%
Hispanic or Latino 20.6%
African American 13.7%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 52.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Fort Walton Beach High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Okaloosa, which includes Fort Walton Beach High 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 Fort Walton Beach High 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 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Baker School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Davidson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fort Walton Beach High 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
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,111
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high 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 (~1,550 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fort Walton Beach High School's federal record.
- Compare Fort Walton Beach High 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 Fort Walton Beach High School
How many students attend Fort Walton Beach High School?
Fort Walton Beach High School has 1,550 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fort Walton Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fort Walton Beach High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fort Walton Beach High School is 19.4:1, which is 9% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fort Walton Beach High School?
37.8% of students at Fort Walton Beach High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fort Walton Beach High School?
The largest demographic group at Fort Walton Beach High School is White at 52.5% of enrollment, in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fort Walton Beach High School?
Fort Walton Beach High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Fort Walton Beach High School rank among public schools in Fort Walton Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Walton Beach High School ranks #11 of 14 public schools in Fort Walton Beach, 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 Fort Walton Beach on the city page.
Is Fort Walton Beach High School a good school?
Fort Walton Beach High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. 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 Fort Walton Beach High 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.