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Fort Walton Beach High School

Q: Is Fort Walton Beach High School a good school?

Fort Walton Beach High School ranks 363 rd of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

363^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 838 Florida High Schools

Better than 57% of Florida high schools

Summary

Fort Walton Beach High School is a large, traditional public high school in Fort Walton Beach, FL, serving 1,550 students in grades 9-12 as part of the high-performing Okaloosa school district, though it has recently experienced a notable decline in its state ranking.

While the school has a strong historical foundation and a solid graduation rate of 93.5% (above both district and state averages), it faces significant challenges. Most concerning is a sharp drop in its state ranking, falling from the 85th percentile in 2016 to the 57th percentile in 2026—a trend not seen in nearby schools like Niceville Senior High School (85th percentile) or Navarre High School (80th percentile), which remain stable. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism (27.7%), which is more than double the rate at Niceville Senior High (11.5%) and significantly higher than the district average (20.5%). Additionally, math proficiency is a critical weakness, with only 52% of students proficient in Algebra 1 compared to the district average of 73%. Interestingly, the school shows relative strength in US History and Biology, where scores are much closer to state averages.

It is important to note that Fort Walton Beach High serves a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (46.26% on free/reduced lunch) compared to higher-performing neighbors like Destin High School (21.04%) and Niceville Senior High (21.81%). The presence of the elite Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College (98th percentile) may also draw top-performing students away from traditional schools. Both comprehensive high schools in Fort Walton Beach—this one and Choctawhatchee Senior High School—share similar struggles with absenteeism and lower test scores, suggesting a community-wide challenge. Reversing the school's trend will likely require targeted efforts to reduce absenteeism and strengthen math instruction.

1,550

Students ?

21.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,708

Per pupil spending ?

46.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 Hollywood Blvd SW
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

(850) 833-3300

District: Okaloosa

Feeder schools for Fort Walton Beach High School:

Elementary:	Annette P. Edwins Elementary School
	Destin Elementary School
	Florosa Elementary School
	Mary Esther Elementary School
Middle:	Destin Middle School
	Max Bruner Junior Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.5%

Hispanic:

20.6%

African American:

13.7%

See top rated Florida high schools

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2016 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Florida median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2016

!Algebra 1 scores 11 pts below the Florida average

!Near the bottom of Okaloosa's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg69%

Florida avg64%

363^rd of 838

Florida public high schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 29 pts since 2016

From top 15% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 6High Schools in the Okaloosa

12^th of 70Okaloosa among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	363 of 838	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.1	347 of 844	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.1	290 of 807	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	229 of 792	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	59.6	192 of 774	75.2%	★★★★☆
2021	59.2	185 of 746	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	60.6	190 of 734	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	61.5	178 of 716	75.1%	★★★★☆
2017	64.4	148 of 714	79.3%	★★★★☆
2016	71.9	102 of 693	85.3%	★★★★☆
2014	74.3	120 of 687	82.5%	★★★★☆
2013	74.7	91 of 648	86.0%	★★★★☆
2012	75.8	57 of 606	90.6%	★★★★★
2011	85.5	67 of 622	89.2%	★★★★☆
2010	82.2	84 of 620	86.5%	★★★★☆
2009	88.0	49 of 587	91.7%	★★★★★
2008	87.6	46 of 577	92.0%	★★★★★
2007	89.5	38 of 563	93.3%	★★★★★
2006	81.5	66 of 477	86.2%	★★★★☆
2005	83.1	67 of 487	86.2%	★★★★☆
2004	83.3	67 of 484	86.2%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Biology 171%-3 vs state

US History70%-4 vs state

English Language Arts57%-3 vs state

Geometry57%~ state avg

Algebra 152%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Fort Walton Beach High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)		EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC US History (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Fort Walton Beach High School	Public	9-12	400 Hollywood Blvd SW	Fort Walton Beach	32548	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-3300	1,550	71	21.7	46.3%	814 (52.5%)	212 (13.7%)	319 (20.6%)	47 (3.0%)	8 (0.5%)	7 (0.5%)	143 (9.2%)	48.3	363^rd of 838 public high schools	56.7%		49.1	347^th of 844 public high schools	58.9%	16	58.0	56.0	52.0	57.0	71.0	70.0	$9,708	$143	$9,565
Okaloosa Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual	6-12	310 Perry Ave SE	Fort Walton Beach	32548	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	Yes	No	(850) 833-3533	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Choctawhatchee Senior High School	Public	9-12	110 Racetrack Rd NW	Fort Walton Beach	32547	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-3614	1,720	80	21.4	55.5%	874 (50.8%)	207 (12.0%)	406 (23.6%)	37 (2.2%)	7 (0.4%)	11 (0.6%)	178 (10.3%)	45.2	405^th of 838 public high schools	51.7%		39	477^th of 844 public high schools	43.5%	72	55.0	59.0	55.0	46.0	69.0	74.0	$9,353	$281	$9,073
Okaloosa Technical College	Public	6-12	1976 Lewis Turner Blvd	Fort Walton Beach	32547	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-3500	42	6	7.0	61.9%	17 (40.5%)	5 (11.9%)	14 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (14.3%)								(n/a)							$15,896	$1,372	$14,525
Destin High School	Public, Charter	9-12	4325 Commons Dr	Destin	32541	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 424-1664	599	30	19.9	21.0%	445 (74.3%)	48 (8.0%)	60 (10.0%)	11 (1.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.2%)	50.3	337^th of 838 public high schools	59.8%		54.5	273^rd of 844 public high schools	67.7%	64	55.0	57.0	48.0	70.0	73.0	76.0	$9,581	$119	$9,461
Niceville Senior High School	Public	9-12	800 John Sims Pkwy E	Niceville	32578	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-4114	2,036	81	25.0	21.8%	1,494 (73.4%)	100 (4.9%)	214 (10.5%)	30 (1.5%)	5 (0.2%)	8 (0.4%)	185 (9.1%)	71.8	126^th of 838 public high schools	85.0%		70.6	140^th of 844 public high schools	83.4%	14	74.0	73.0	64.0	77.0	87.0	83.0	$9,198	$212	$8,987
Collegiate High School At Northwest Florida State College	Public, Charter	9-12	100 College Blvd E	Niceville	32578	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 729-4949	463	4	115.7	23.5%	293 (63.3%)	25 (5.4%)	47 (10.2%)	24 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	71 (15.3%)	90.3	15^th of 838 public high schools	98.2%		88.7	27^th of 844 public high schools	96.8%	12	94.0	96.0	83.0	94.0	100.0	99.0	$12,204	$23	$12,181
Navarre High School	Public	9-12	8600 High School Blvd	Navarre	32566	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 936-6080	2,410	92	26.1	30.4%	1,616 (67.1%)	112 (4.6%)	350 (14.5%)	51 (2.1%)	10 (0.4%)	7 (0.3%)	264 (11.0%)	66.9	170^th of 838 public high schools	79.7%		65.5	180^th of 844 public high schools	78.7%	10	70.0	72.0	58.0	68.0	85.0	83.0	$7,533	$353	$7,179
Contracted Residential Services	Public	6-12	101a Business Center Dr	Miramar	32550	Walton County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 863-4160	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Walton Beach High School

What district is Fort Walton Beach High School in?

Okaloosa

What is the racial makeup of Fort Walton Beach High School?

Students at Fort Walton Beach High School are 53% White, 21% Hispanic, 14% African American, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Fort Walton Beach High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,550 students attended Fort Walton Beach High School.

Is Fort Walton Beach High School a good school?

Fort Walton Beach High School ranks 363^rd of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Fort Walton Beach High School?

Fort Walton Beach High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Annette P. Edwins Elementary School
Elementary : Destin Elementary School
Elementary : Florosa Elementary School
Elementary : Mary Esther Elementary School
Middle : Destin Middle School
Middle : Max Bruner Junior Middle School

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.