Enrollment
969
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Defuniak Springs, FL
Walton High School
Federal NCES profile for Walton High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120198002025
👥 S:T ratio 12
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walton High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Florida schools.
- #5 of 11
- public schools in Defuniak Springs · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22:1
- large classes for Florida
- 58.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Walton High School has class sizes larger than 85% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walton High School ranks #5 of 11 public schools in Defuniak Springs, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120198002025 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walton High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walton High School
Walton High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Defuniak Springs, Florida, enrolling 969 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.8% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 969 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 850 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #514.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 52/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 485 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% 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 Walton 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 Walton High School compares
Walton 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 | 22:1 | ▲ 24% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.8% | ▲ 13% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 969 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
969
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 85% in Florida - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
24.1%
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
$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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 485 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
116
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.9 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 65.6%
Hispanic or Latino 19.2%
African American 8.2%
Two or More 5.6%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.3, Walton High School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walton, which includes Walton High 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 Walton High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Walton High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Freeport Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dune Lakes Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Van R. Butler Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Emerald Coast Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walton High 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
- 924
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 914
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 872
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~969 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walton High School's federal record.
- Compare Walton High 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 Walton High School
How many students attend Walton High School?
Walton High School has 969 students enrolled. It is a high school in Defuniak Springs, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walton High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walton High School is 22:1, which is 24% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walton High School?
58.8% of students at Walton High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walton High School?
The largest demographic group at Walton High School is White at 65.6% of enrollment, in Defuniak Springs, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walton High School?
Walton High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Walton High School rank among public schools in Defuniak Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Walton High 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 Walton High School a good school?
Walton High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Walton High School, Walton also operates South Walton High School (1,127 students), Freeport Elementary School (1,120 students), and Dune Lakes Elementary School (924 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.