Enrollment
521
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Defuniak Springs, FL
Mossy Head School
Federal NCES profile for Mossy Head School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120198007324
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mossy Head School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #6 of 7
- schools in Defuniak Springs · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 78.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mossy Head School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mossy Head School ranks #6 of 7 schools in Defuniak Springs, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120198007324 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mossy Head School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mossy Head School
Mossy Head School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Defuniak Springs, Florida, enrolling 521 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 is high: 78.4% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 521 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 681 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #479.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 521 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.4% 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 Mossy Head 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 Mossy Head School compares
Mossy Head 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 | 78.4% | ▲ 51% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 521 | top 58% | - | - |
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.
521
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
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
33.4%
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 521 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.0 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 64.7%
Hispanic or Latino 24.4%
Two or More 7.1%
African American 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, Mossy Head 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 Walton, which includes Mossy Head 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 Mossy Head School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Walton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Freeport Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dune Lakes Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Van R. Butler Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mossy Head 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 other 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 (~521 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mossy Head School's federal record.
- Compare Mossy Head 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 Mossy Head School
How many students attend Mossy Head School?
Mossy Head School has 521 students enrolled. It is a public school in Defuniak Springs, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mossy Head School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mossy Head 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 Mossy Head School?
78.4% of students at Mossy Head School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mossy Head School?
The largest demographic group at Mossy Head School is White at 64.7% of enrollment, in Defuniak Springs, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mossy Head School?
Mossy Head School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Mossy Head School rank among schools in Defuniak Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Mossy Head School ranks #6 of 7 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 schools in Defuniak Springs on the city page.
Is Mossy Head School a good school?
Mossy Head School earns 28/100 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 Walton?
Besides Mossy Head 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.