Emerald Coast Times

white students made up the largest ethnic group enrolled in Walton County County school districts during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Of the 11,779 students attending Walton County schools, 70.1% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 18.2% of Walton County students.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Walton County, representing 70.4% of the student body.

Maude Saunders Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, including 58.1% white students, 17.1% Hispanic students, 14.8% Black students, and 8.7% multiracial students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased by 1.8% when compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, Florida continues to face a teacher shortage in the 2023-24 school year. Despite some improvements, the state reported nearly 4,800 instructional vacancies at the beginning of the year. According to the Florida Department of Education, core subjects such as English, reading, and math among the areas with the highest demand for teachers.

According to the National Education Association (NEA), Florida ranked 50th in the U.S. for teacher pay in the 2022-23 school year, with salaries lower than they were a decade ago when adjusted for inflation.

Governor DeSantis's budget for the 2024-25 school year allocates nearly $38 billion for education, with $1.25 billion dedicated to teachers' salaries and other instructional personnel.

School Name	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Bay School	White	67.7%	124
Dune Lakes Elementary School	White	69.4%	919
Emerald Coast Middle School	White	68.9%	872
Freeport Elementary School	White	69.9%	1,161
Freeport Middle School	White	67.4%	678
Freeport Senior High School	White	75.5%	677
Maude Saunders Elementary School	White	58.1%	561
Mossy Head School	White	69.3%	504
Paxton School	White	87.9%	795
Seaside Neighborhood School	White	85.2%	440
South Walton High School	White	75.8%	1,112
Van R. Butler Elementary School	White	68.3%	950
Walton Academy Inc.	White	65.9%	170
Walton High School	White	64.5%	898
Walton Initiative for Success in Education (Wise)	White	66.4%	247
Walton Learning Center	Black	76.5%	34
Walton Middle School	White	64.7%	775
Walton Virtual Franchise	White	95.2%	21
Walton Virtual School Wcsd	White	< 10%	< 10
West Defuniak Elementary School	White	59.8%	699