Summary:
Valparaiso, Florida, is home to two public schools within the high-performing Okaloosa County School District, offering a unique contrast between a traditional PK-8 school and a specialized STEM-focused middle school.
The standout school is the Okaloosa Stemm Center, which is ranked #1 out of 1,216 middle schools in Florida for the 2025-2026 school year. This school achieves near-perfect proficiency rates in Algebra 1 (98%), Civics (100%), and 8th-grade Science (100%), far exceeding state averages. It also has an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.7%, indicating a highly engaged student body. In contrast, the Addie R. Lewis School serves a larger, more diverse student population (47.78% free/reduced lunch) and spends more per student ($13,780 vs. $11,157) with a lower student-teacher ratio (14.5:1 vs. 17.4:1), reflecting its broader needs. While Addie R. Lewis's elementary scores are moderate, it shows remarkable strength in upper grades, with 94% Algebra 1 proficiency and 100% Geometry proficiency, demonstrating it effectively prepares students for high school coursework.
The key takeaway for parents is the dramatic difference between these two schools. The Okaloosa Stemm Center appears to be a magnet program drawing highly motivated students, resulting in unparalleled academic performance. Meanwhile, Addie R. Lewis is a solid, well-funded neighborhood school that excels in upper-grade End-of-Course exams despite serving a more economically diverse population. Both schools outperform state averages, but the choice between them depends on whether a family prioritizes a specialized STEM environment or a comprehensive PK-8 community school with strong upper-grade outcomes.
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