Summary:
Zip code 32433, serving the Defuniak Springs area, is home to a single high school, Walton High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 with an enrollment of 969 students and is part of the highly-rated Walton County school district.
Walton High School stands out for its exceptional 100% graduation rate for the 2024-2025 school year, far exceeding both the district (97.5%) and state (92.2%) averages. The school has also shown a positive trend in its state ranking, improving from a 3-star rating to a consistent 4-star rating in recent years, currently ranking 213th out of 838 schools statewide. In the most recent testing data, the school outperformed the state average in every subject, including Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology 1, US History, and English Language Arts. However, it is important to note that within the high-achieving Walton County district, the school's test scores lag behind the district average in all subjects, suggesting it is a strong state performer but one of the lower-performing schools in its own district.
A key paradox exists between the school's perfect graduation rate and its high chronic absenteeism rate of 32%, which is above the district average of 24.3%. This suggests the school likely has effective support systems, such as credit recovery programs, to ensure students graduate despite missing significant school days. Additionally, the school spends a substantial $14,222 per student but maintains a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 17.1:1, indicating that spending may be directed toward other resources like support staff or technology rather than reducing class sizes. The data also shows significant year-over-year volatility in test scores, such as a 28-percentage-point jump in Algebra 1 proficiency from 39% to 67%, which warrants further investigation into the cause of such dramatic changes.
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