Walton Middle School

Walton Middle School is a public middle school located in Defuniak Springs, Florida, serving 775 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Walton District, which is ranked 8th out of 67 districts in Florida and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past 10 years, Walton Middle School has consistently ranked in the top half of Florida middle schools, with its highest ranking being 327 out of 1,205 schools in the 2024-2025 school year.

Walton Middle School consistently outperforms the state average in various standardized tests, including EOC (End of Course) exams, Statewide Science, and FAST (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) assessments. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Walton Middle School had 90% proficiency in EOC Algebra 1, compared to the state average of 60%. However, the school has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 24.3% to 31.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Walton Middle School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 68.32% to 76.13% over the past few years, suggesting a relatively high proportion of students from low-income families attending the school.

Interestingly, the closest comparable school, Freeport Middle School, which is also part of the Walton District, has consistently outperformed Walton Middle School in various test scores, with higher proficiency rates in EOC exams, Statewide Science, and FAST assessments. This suggests that Walton Middle School may have room for improvement in academic performance compared to its district counterpart. Additionally, Walton Middle School has seen a steady increase in its per-student spending, from $9,716 in the 2020-2021 school year to $14,339 in the 2023-2024 school year, which is higher than the state average and may indicate a focus on resource allocation and investment in the school.