Enrollment
554
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Defuniak Springs, FL
Maude Saunders Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Maude Saunders Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120198002026
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Maude Saunders Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 81% of Florida schools.
- #5 of 11
- public schools in Defuniak Springs · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.5:1
- small classes for Florida
- 83.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Maude Saunders Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Maude Saunders Elementary School ranks #5 of 11 public schools in Defuniak Springs, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120198002026 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Maude Saunders Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Maude Saunders Elementary School
Maude Saunders Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Defuniak Springs, Florida, enrolling 554 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 83.4% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 554 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 534 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #273.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 554 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Walton also operates South Walton High School (1,127 students) and Freeport Elementary School (1,120 students) alongside Maude Saunders Elementary 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 Maude Saunders Elementary School compares
Maude Saunders Elementary 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 24% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.4% | ▲ 60% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 554 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
554
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 19% in Florida - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.8%
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
$11,790
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 554 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 55.2%
Hispanic or Latino 21.1%
African American 13.2%
Two or More 9.0%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 55.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.5, Maude Saunders Elementary School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walton, which includes Maude Saunders Elementary School.
$11,790
Per student
+6%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.6%
State 11.8%
Federal 12.6%
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 Maude Saunders Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Walton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freeport Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dune Lakes Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Van R. Butler Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Maude Saunders Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,127
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,120
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 969
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 924
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 914
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~554 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Maude Saunders Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Maude Saunders Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Walton'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 Maude Saunders Elementary School
How many students attend Maude Saunders Elementary School?
Maude Saunders Elementary School has 554 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Defuniak Springs, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Maude Saunders Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Maude Saunders Elementary School is 13.5:1, which is 24% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Maude Saunders Elementary School?
83.4% of students at Maude Saunders Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Maude Saunders Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Maude Saunders Elementary School is White at 55.2% of enrollment, in Defuniak Springs, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Maude Saunders Elementary School?
Maude Saunders Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Maude Saunders Elementary School rank among public schools in Defuniak Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Maude Saunders Elementary School ranks #5 of 11 public schools in Defuniak Springs, 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 Defuniak Springs on the city page.
Is Maude Saunders Elementary School a good school?
Maude Saunders Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Walton?
Besides Maude Saunders Elementary School, Walton also operates South Walton High School (1,127 students), Freeport Elementary School (1,120 students), and Walton High School (969 students). See the Walton 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.