Emerald Coast Times

There were 1,997 Hispanic students enrolled in Walton County schools in the 2022-23 school year, a 8.1% increase from the 1,847 Hispanic students in the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Walton County welcomed a total of 11,575 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 17.3% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 21 schools in Walton County, Freeport Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 250 students, making up 22.3% of the school's total student body.

In 2022, Florida had more than 2.8 million students enrolled in its 4,202 schools. There were 163,558 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 17 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

Private school enrollment increased by more than 51,000 students in the 2021-22 school year, which was a notable rebound after the pandemic. In total, there were 416,084 students enrolled, marking the highest enrollment in private schools reported by the Florida Department of Education in 30 years.

According to WalletHub's analysis, Florida is ranked ninth out of 50 states in terms of its public school quality and safety.

School name	% of Hispanic Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
South Walton High School	15.6	1,235
Freeport Elementary School	22.3	1,123
Van R. Butler Elementary School	18.1	1,013
Dune Lakes Elementary School	21.2	928
Emerald Coast Middle School	20.3	868
Walton High School	18.8	856
Walton Middle School	18.6	801
Freeport Middle School	20.9	700
West Defuniak Elementary School	21.5	669
Freeport Senior High School	17.1	557
Maude Saunders Elementary School	12.5	553
Mossy Head School	14.1	439
Seaside Neighborhood School	2.7	403
Bay School	18.5	146