Fort Walton Beach High School

Summary:

Fort Walton Beach High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, which is part of the Okaloosa School District, a highly-ranked district in the state. The school has a diverse student population, with a mix of White, African American, and Hispanic students, as well as smaller percentages of other racial/ethnic groups.

Fort Walton Beach High School has maintained strong graduation rates, with a 91.8% four-year graduation rate in the 2022-2023 school year, which is higher than the state and district averages. However, the school's test scores are generally on par with or slightly below the Okaloosa district and Florida state averages, with proficiency rates in Algebra 1, Geometry, and 10th grade English Language Arts lower than the district and state. The school has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 14.8% in 2019-2020 to 22.0% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the district and state averages.

When compared to nearby schools, Fort Walton Beach High School performs similarly or slightly below in terms of test scores and graduation rates. For example, Niceville Senior High School and Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College, both within the Okaloosa district, have higher test scores and graduation rates. Notably, Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College stands out with exceptional performance, ranking among the top 3 high schools in Florida in 2021-2022 and maintaining a 100% four-year graduation rate.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 400 Hollywood Blvd SW
       Fort Walton Beach, FL  32548


(850) 833-3300

District: Okaloosa

SchoolDigger Rank:
290th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,196 Help


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

Student/teacher ratio:  20.1 Help
Number of students:  1,620

Racial breakdown:

White:
57.5%
Hispanic:
16.4%
African American:
13.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  42% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Fort Walton Beach High School ranks better than 64.1% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 4th among 6 ranked high schools in the Okaloosa School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.06. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Fort Walton Beach High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
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Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Fort Walton Beach High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (57.5%), Hispanic (16.4%), African American (13.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 42% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fort Walton Beach High School is 20.1, which is the 2nd best among 6 high schools in the Okaloosa School District. (See more...)
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Compare Fort Walton Beach High School employs 80.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fort Walton Beach High School is $10,196, which is the 3rd highest among 6 high schools in the Okaloosa School District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Fort Walton Beach High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Fort Walton Beach High School 290th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Fort Walton Beach High School in the ranking list.)

Okaloosa:

SchoolDigger ranks Okaloosa 12th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Fort Walton Beach High School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 83.32 67th 484 86.2%
2005 83.06 67th 487 86.2%
2006 81.54 66th 477 86.2%
2007 89.51 38th 563 93.3%
2008 87.63 46th 577 92.0%
2009 87.96 49th 587 91.7%
2010 82.25 84th 620 86.5%
2011 85.49 67th 622 89.2%
2012 75.84 57th 606 90.6%
2013 74.67 91st 648 86.0%
2014 74.27 120th 687 82.5%
2016 71.91 102nd 693 85.3%
2017 64.38 148th 714 79.3%
2018 61.51 178th 716 75.1%
2019 60.56 190th 734 74.1%
2021 59.21 185th 746 75.2%
2022 59.63 192nd 774 75.2%
2023 56.23 229th 792 71.1%
2024 51.06 290th 807 64.1%
See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Fort Walton Beach High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Fort Walton Beach High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1333 184 48 15 1 n/a n/a 0 1581
1989 1228 189 52 18 2 n/a n/a 0 1489
1990 1530 235 67 21 1 n/a n/a 0 1854
1991 1538 228 51 35 1 n/a n/a 0 1853
1992 1506 221 62 48 2 n/a n/a 0 1839
1993 1478 253 74 57 6 n/a n/a 0 1868
1994 1438 243 66 59 7 n/a n/a 0 1813
1995 1528 260 68 47 8 n/a n/a 0 1911
1996 1528 260 68 47 8 n/a n/a 0 1911
1997 1561 261 88 46 7 n/a n/a 0 1963
1998 1587 274 91 47 7 n/a n/a 0 2006
1999 1655 253 81 52 4 n/a n/a 0 2045
2000 1654 262 75 47 5 n/a n/a 0 2043
2001 1700 249 75 52 6 n/a n/a 0 2082
2002 1552 254 71 56 7 n/a n/a 0 1940
2003 1552 254 71 56 7 n/a n/a 0 1940
2004 1555 250 92 68 7 n/a n/a 0 1972
2005 1553 257 96 76 7 n/a n/a 0 1989
2006 1591 255 86 90 9 n/a n/a 0 2031
2007 1428 218 78 106 9 n/a n/a 76 1915
2008 1436 242 76 98 8 n/a n/a 81 1941
2009 1407 227 65 100 10 n/a n/a 99 1908
2010 1317 231 72 105 20 n/a n/a 147 1892
2011 1282 238 69 118 15 8 97 0 1827
2012 1211 222 75 122 15 8 103 0 1756
2013 1174 230 80 134 15 3 117 0 1753
2014 1156 242 83 155 9 3 96 0 1744
2015 1066 234 75 159 7 4 102 0 1647
2016 1033 236 80 164 6 5 114 0 1638
2017 1013 239 66 204 7 4 121 0 1654
2018 1023 269 54 208 6 4 134 0 1698
2019 1016 249 63 216 8 6 162 0 1720
2020 1124 261 63 222 8 6 181 0 1865
2021 1131 280 61 226 5 10 197 0 1910
2022 1010 228 55 220 7 11 173 0 1704
2023 931 221 49 266 4 13 136 0 1620

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fort Walton Beach High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1581 88.0 17.9 6
1989 1489 88.0 16.9 7.8
1990 1854 105.0 17.6 12.4
1991 1853 104.0 17.8 8.7
1992 1839 97.0 18.9 7.8
1993 1868 97.0 19.3 9.3
1994 1813 98.0 18.5 8.7
1995 1911 98.0 19.5 8.4
1996 1911 98.0 19.5 8.4
1997 1963 102.0 19.2 7
1998 2006 105.0 19.1 6.6
1999 2045 102.0 20.0 8.8
2000 2043 101.0 20.2 8
2001 2082 101.0 20.6 7.8
2002 1940 101.0 19.2 10.4
2003 1940 101.0 19.2 10.4
2004 1972 95.0 20.8 14.2
2005 1989 90.0 22.1 14.4
2006 2031 96.0 21.2 16
2007 1915 97.0 19.7 15.4
2008 1941 113.5 17.1 15.6
2009 1908 103.0 18.7 20.1
2010 1892 99.5 19.0 21.8
2011 1827 110.8 16.4 24.7
2012 1756 97.0 18.1 23.7
2013 1753 90.0 19.4 25
2014 1744 85.0 20.5 31.4
2015 1647 86.0 19.1 34.1
2016 1638 82.0 19.9 35.9
2017 1654 84.0 19.6 36.5
2018 1698 81.0 20.9 36.3
2019 1720 80.8 21.2 37
2020 1865 83.7 22.2 36.5
2021 1910 85.6 22.3 43.8
2022 1704 88.0 19.3 37.3
2023 1620 80.4 20.1 42

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Fort Walton Beach High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1581 88.0 17.9 6
1989 1489 88.0 16.9 7.8
1990 1854 105.0 17.6 12.4
1991 1853 104.0 17.8 8.7
1992 1839 97.0 18.9 7.8
1993 1868 97.0 19.3 9.3
1994 1813 98.0 18.5 8.7
1995 1911 98.0 19.5 8.4
1996 1911 98.0 19.5 8.4
1997 1963 102.0 19.2 7
1998 2006 105.0 19.1 6.6
1999 2045 102.0 20.0 8.8
2000 2043 101.0 20.2 8
2001 2082 101.0 20.6 7.8
2002 1940 101.0 19.2 10.4
2003 1940 101.0 19.2 10.4
2004 1972 95.0 20.8 14.2
2005 1989 90.0 22.1 14.4
2006 2031 96.0 21.2 16
2007 1915 97.0 19.7 15.4
2008 1941 113.5 17.1 15.6
2009 1908 103.0 18.7 20.1
2010 1892 99.5 19.0 21.8
2011 1827 110.8 16.4 24.7
2012 1756 97.0 18.1 23.7
2013 1753 90.0 19.4 25
2014 1744 85.0 20.5 31.4
2015 1647 86.0 19.1 34.1
2016 1638 82.0 19.9 35.9
2017 1654 84.0 19.6 36.5
2018 1698 81.0 20.9 36.3
2019 1720 80.8 21.2 37
2020 1865 83.7 22.2 36.5
2021 1910 85.6 22.3 43.8
2022 1704 88.0 19.3 37.3
2023 1620 80.4 20.1 42

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Fort Walton Beach High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $144 (1.9%) $7,399 (98.1%) $7,543
2019 $121 (1.6%) $7,638 (98.5%) $7,758
2020 $157 (2.1%) $7,500 (97.9%) $7,658
2021 $383 (4.8%) $7,602 (95.2%) $7,985
2022 $1,129 (12.0%) $8,284 (88.0%) $9,414
2023 $1,236 (12.1%) $8,959 (87.9%) $10,196

Data source: Florida Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fort Walton Beach High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 190th of 734 High schoolsRanks 229th of 792 High schools
 3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Walton Beach High School)5760
 3%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Okaloosa)6157
 4%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5551
 4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Walton Beach High School)5851
 7%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Okaloosa)6154
 7%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5349
 4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Fort Walton Beach High School)7167
 4%
   End of Course Biology 1 (Okaloosa)7266
 6%
   End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)6763
 4%
End of Course US History (Fort Walton Beach High School)8373
 10%
   End of Course US History (Okaloosa)7969
 10%
   End of Course US History (Florida)7063
 7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Fort Walton Beach High School)6748
 19%
   End of Course Algebra 1 (Okaloosa)7865
 13%
   End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)6254
 8%
End of Course Geometry (Fort Walton Beach High School)6659
 7%
   End of Course Geometry (Okaloosa)7365
 8%
   End of Course Geometry (Florida)5750
 7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students17201620
 5.8%
African American249221
 11.2%
American Indian84
 50%
Asian6349
 22.2%
Hispanic216266
 23.1%
Pacific Islander613
 116.7%
White1016931
 8.4%
Two or More Races162136
 16%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients37%42%
 5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Walton Beach High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,620 students attended Fort Walton Beach High School.

Fort Walton Beach High School ranks 290th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Fort Walton Beach High School are 57% White, 16% Hispanic, 14% African American, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.


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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.





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