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Maude Saunders Elementary School

Q: Is Maude Saunders Elementary School a good school?

Maude Saunders Elementary School ranks 1076 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1076^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Maude Saunders Elementary School in Defuniak Springs, FL, serves 554 students in grades K-5 and is part of the high-performing Walton County School District, though it faces unique challenges due to a high level of economic disadvantage, with over 82% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

One of the most notable features of Maude Saunders is the significant investment it receives. The school spends $17,391 per student, which is substantially higher than nearby schools like Freeport Elementary School ($13,180) and West Defuniak Elementary School ($14,729). This funding supports a low student-teacher ratio of 12.1:1, the smallest among its Walton County peers. However, despite these resources, the school's academic performance is mixed. While 3rd-grade math proficiency (80%) exceeds both the district and state averages, 5th-grade math (53%) and English Language Arts (54%) lag behind. A bright spot is 5th-grade science, which has improved dramatically from 36% to 53% over two years. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 32.4%, much higher than the district average of 24.3%.

Compared to a similarly disadvantaged school like Ponce De Leon Elementary School in the Holmes district, Maude Saunders provides a much higher quality of education, with 3rd-grade ELA proficiency (65%) nearly double that of Ponce De Leon (39%). The school is also on an upward trend, with its state ranking improving for three consecutive years, from the 38th percentile to the 52nd percentile. This suggests that recent interventions are beginning to pay off, though the school still trails higher-performing local peers like West Defuniak Elementary, raising questions about how effectively resources are being used to overcome the challenges of poverty.

554

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,391

Per pupil spending ?

82.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

416 John Baldwin Rd
Defuniak Springs, FL 32433

(850) 892-1260

District: Walton

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.2%

Hispanic:

21.1%

African American:

13.2%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Maude Saunders Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 30th percentile in 2016 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Florida median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Near the bottom of Walton's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school62%

District avg72%

Florida avg62%

1,076^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▲ up 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 30% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Walton

10^th of 70Walton 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	52.9	1076 of 2240	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.1	1219 of 2258	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.5	1356 of 2256	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.7	1055 of 2240	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.2	1368 of 2219	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.5	973 of 2247	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.9	1430 of 2182	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.3	1539 of 2118	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	31.7	1448 of 2112	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	32.3	1456 of 2087	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	31.2	1487 of 2064	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	37.5	1289 of 2029	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	44.3	1126 of 1984	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.5	1110 of 1985	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.4	1023 of 1919	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	42.6	1139 of 1847	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	51.7	912 of 1789	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.5	881 of 1786	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.5	749 of 1688	55.6%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math66%~ state avg

English Language Arts60%~ state avg

Science53%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Maude Saunders Elementary 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)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (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 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Maude Saunders Elementary School	Public	K-5	416 John Baldwin Rd	Defuniak Springs	32433	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 892-1260	554	46	12.1	82.7%	306 (55.2%)	73 (13.2%)	117 (21.1%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	50 (9.0%)	52.9	1076^th of 2240 public elementary schools	52.0%		45.1	1219^th of 2258 public elementary schools	46.0%	143	65.0	62.0	54.0	80.0	65.0	53.0	53.0	$17,391	$1,346	$16,044
West Defuniak Elementary School	Public	K-5	815 Lincoln Ave	Defuniak Springs	32435	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 892-1250	704	50	14.0	70.0%	409 (58.1%)	70 (9.9%)	163 (23.2%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (7.7%)	74.9	509^th of 2240 public elementary schools	77.3%		65	757^th of 2258 public elementary schools	66.5%	248	75.0	60.0	75.0	73.0	67.0	80.0	80.0	$14,729	$1,138	$13,590
Ponce De Leon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1473 Ammons Rd	Ponce De Leon	32455	Holmes County	Holmes	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 836-4296	272	20	13.6	71.3%	255 (93.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	18.5	1970^th of 2240 public elementary schools	12.1%		30.5	1625^th of 2258 public elementary schools	28.0%	345	39.0	34.0	55.0	44.0	34.0	39.0	55.0	$12,234	$1,208	$11,026
Mossy Head School	Public	PK, KG-5	13270 Us Highway 90 W	Defuniak Springs	32433	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 892-1290	521	35	15.0	83.7%	337 (64.7%)	14 (2.7%)	127 (24.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (7.1%)	60	871^st of 2240 public elementary schools	61.1%		68	692^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	69.4%	179	54.0	69.0	71.0	57.0	66.0	78.0	73.0	$14,642	$1,267	$13,376
Freeport Elementary School	Public	K-4	160 Victory Blvd	Freeport	32439	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 892-1210	1,120	73	15.3	52.5%	766 (68.4%)	35 (3.1%)	242 (21.6%)	15 (1.3%)	11 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	50 (4.5%)	74.4	518^th of 2240 public elementary schools	76.9%		71.2	605^th of 2258 public elementary schools	73.2%	87	69.0	67.0		75.0	82.0			$13,180	$838	$12,342

Frequently Asked Questions about Maude Saunders Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Maude Saunders Elementary School?

Students at Maude Saunders Elementary School are 55% White, 21% Hispanic, 13% African American, 9% Two or more races.

How many students attend Maude Saunders Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 554 students attended Maude Saunders Elementary School.

What district is Maude Saunders Elementary School in?

Walton

Is Maude Saunders Elementary School a good school?

Maude Saunders Elementary School ranks 1076^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Maude Saunders Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Maude Saunders Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Emerald Coast Middle School
Middle : Freeport Middle School
Middle : Walton Middle School
High : Freeport Senior High School
High : South Walton High School
High : Walton High 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.