Enrollment
914
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Van R. Butler Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Van R. Butler Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120198002023
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van R. Butler Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Santa Rosa Beach · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Florida
- 25.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Van R. Butler Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van R. Butler Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120198002023 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van R. Butler Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van R. Butler Elementary School
Van R. Butler Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, enrolling 914 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 25.4% free-meal eligibility runs 51% below the Florida average.
Enrollment of 914 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 515 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #259.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 914 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Walton also operates South Walton High School (1,127 students) and Freeport Elementary School (1,120 students) alongside Van R. Butler 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 Van R. Butler Elementary School compares
Van R. Butler 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.4% | ▼ 51% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 914 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
914
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 26% in Florida - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.0%
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 914 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 67.8%
Hispanic or Latino 20.0%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 3.8%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 67.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Van R. Butler Elementary School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walton, which includes Van R. Butler 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 Van R. Butler Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Walton High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freeport Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walton High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dune Lakes Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Emerald Coast Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van R. Butler 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
- 872
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~914 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van R. Butler Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Van R. Butler 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 Van R. Butler Elementary School
How many students attend Van R. Butler Elementary School?
Van R. Butler Elementary School has 914 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van R. Butler Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van R. Butler Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 20% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 9% 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 Van R. Butler Elementary School?
25.4% of students at Van R. Butler Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van R. Butler Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Van R. Butler Elementary School is White at 67.8% of enrollment, in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van R. Butler Elementary School?
Van R. Butler Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Van R. Butler Elementary School rank among public schools in Santa Rosa Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Van R. Butler Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa Beach on the city page.
Is Van R. Butler Elementary School a good school?
Van R. Butler Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Van R. Butler 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.