Okaloosa Academy

Okaloosa Academy is an alternative public charter school located in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, serving grades 3-12 with a total enrollment of 157 students. The school is part of the Okaloosa school district, which is ranked 12th out of 67 districts in Florida and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Okaloosa Academy faces some significant challenges compared to the district and state averages. The school has had relatively low four-year graduation rates, ranging from 40% to 89.7% in recent years. Additionally, Okaloosa Academy has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.5% to 31.4%, and consistently lower test scores across various subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates ranging from 9% to 38% in the 2024-2025 school year. The school also serves a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with 71.26% to 82.16% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Interestingly, the nearby Northwest Florida Ballet Academie, another alternative school in the same district, consistently outperforms Okaloosa Academy on key metrics like test scores and graduation rates. The relatively high per-student spending at Okaloosa Academy, ranging from $8,106 to $10,816 in recent years, also raises questions about the effective allocation and utilization of resources to support student learning and achievement. As an alternative school, Okaloosa Academy may have a specialized curriculum or approach, and further investigation into its educational model could provide valuable insights for improving the school's effectiveness and supporting the success of its students.