Emerald Coast Times

There were 95 Asian students enrolled in Walton County schools in the 2023-24 school year, the same as the previous school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Data showed that Walton County welcomed a total of 11,637 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Asian students comprised 0.8% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 20 schools in Walton County, Van R. Butler Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Asian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 29 students, making up 3.1% of the school's total student body.

Gov. DeSantis has approved an education budget of over $28 billion for the 2024-25 school year. The new budget includes more than $1 billion earmarked exclusively for teacher salaries to better address the teacher shortage the state faces.

A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Florida 49th in the nation for teacher salaries when adjusted for cost of living, making it one of the lowest in the U.S.

School name	% of Asian Students Enrolment	Total Enrollment
Freeport Elementary School	1.3%	1,161
South Walton High School	1.3%	1,112
Van R. Butler Elementary School	3.1%	950
Emerald Coast Middle School	1.3%	872
Freeport Middle School	1.9%	678
Seaside Neighborhood School	3%	440