Enrollment
796
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Defuniak Springs, FL
Walton Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Walton Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120198002024
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walton Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #4 of 11
- public schools in Defuniak Springs · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 68.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Walton Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walton Middle School ranks #4 of 11 public schools in Defuniak Springs, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120198002024 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walton Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walton Middle School
Walton Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Defuniak Springs, Florida, enrolling 796 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 796 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 920 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #402.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 796 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 275 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 796 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Walton also operates South Walton High School (1,127 students) and Freeport Elementary School (1,120 students) alongside Walton Middle 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 Middle School compares
Walton Middle 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.5% | ▲ 32% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 796 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
796
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 33% in Florida - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.9%
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 796 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
143
in-school suspensions + 132 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.5 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 63.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
African American 7.8%
Two or More 7.5%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 63.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Walton Middle 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 Walton Middle 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 Middle 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 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dune Lakes Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Van R. Butler Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walton Middle 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 middle 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 (~796 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walton Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Walton Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Walton Middle School?
Walton Middle School has 796 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Defuniak Springs, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walton Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walton Middle School is 15:1, which is 16% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 4% 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 Walton Middle School?
68.5% of students at Walton Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walton Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Walton Middle School is White at 63.2% of enrollment, in Defuniak Springs, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walton Middle School?
Walton Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Walton Middle School rank among public schools in Defuniak Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Walton Middle School ranks #4 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 Middle School a good school?
Walton Middle School earns 33/100 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 Walton Middle 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.