Van R. Butler Elementary School

Q: Is Van R. Butler Elementary School a good school?

Van R. Butler Elementary School ranks 267 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Van R. Butler Elementary School is a public elementary school in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, serving 1,013 students in grades K-5 and part of the highly-ranked Walton School District.

Van R. Butler Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in academic assessments, with significantly higher percentages of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Math compared to nearby schools like Freeport Elementary and Dune Lakes Elementary. However, the school has a higher percentage of White students (70.88%) than the state average, and has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.4% in 2019-2020 to 18.9% in 2022-2023.

Van R. Butler Elementary spends more per student ($11,683) than nearby schools, which may contribute to its strong academic performance. But the school's administration and community should focus on addressing racial diversity and inclusion, as well as investigating the root causes of the rising chronic absenteeism to ensure all students have the support they need to succeed.

Detail:

Public K-5

6694 W County Highway 30a
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

(850) 622-5040

District: Walton

SchoolDigger Rank:
267^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,683

Students who attend Van R. Butler Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Emerald Coast Middle School
	Freeport Middle School
	Walton Middle School
High:	Freeport Senior High School
	South Walton High School
	Walton High School
	Walton Virtual Franchise

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 1,013

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.9%

Hispanic:

18.1%

Two or more races:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 30.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Van R. Butler Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Van R. Butler Elementary School ranks better than 88.2% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks first among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Walton School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.57. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.9%), Hispanic (18.1%), two or more races (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 30.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Van R. Butler Elementary School is 15.8. 4 elementary schools in the Walton School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Van R. Butler Elementary School employs 64 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Van R. Butler Elementary School is $11,683. 3 elementary schools in the Walton School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Van R. Butler Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Walton:

SchoolDigger ranks Walton 16^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Van R. Butler Elementary School.

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Rank History for Van R. Butler Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	78.63	329^th	1688	80.5%
2007	84.30	232^nd	1786	87.0%
2008	88.71	125^th	1789	93.0%
2009	89.32	113^th	1847	93.9%
2010	87.31	164^th	1919	91.5%
2011	83.75	260^th	1985	86.9%
2012	84.81	246^th	1984	87.6%
2013	85.23	238^th	2029	88.3%
2014	80.33	358^th	2064	82.7%
2016	82.43	331^st	2087	84.1%
2017	84.00	289^th	2112	86.3%
2018	84.93	290^th	2118	86.3%
2019	81.09	376^th	2182	82.8%
2021	84.86	303^rd	2247	86.5%
2022	82.83	346^th	2219	84.4%
2023	87.45	235^th	2240	89.5%
2024	86.57	267^th	2256	88.2%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

School and staff are great. What is being taught is not so good. Moving from one school system from another state to FL back to VA, I could not believe how far behind our child got in one year. Our son has been a honor roll student since he started school and never fails to bring home great work and even better grades. Now since moving back to VA after one year he is so far behind it is just amazing. His grades are suffering because he is playing catch up. During his 4th grade year I never thought his teacher was pushing him enough so we would always go an extra step at home. But even starting in his 5th grade there, after one month (because we moved) they were still not "doing" anything. The schools here were only in for two weeks when we got here and they were already being pushed to their grade levels and beyond. My complaint is not with the Principal and the office staff, it is with the lack of education in a hall full of nothing but. We always did find it kind of odd that out of 22 students 18 would be honor roll. In any other school, the average of honor roll to not honor roll did not exceed half of a class! I wish education was just as important as making kids feel good about themselves and not about the "honor roll student" stickers on the back of cars. Unfortunately, its all about the $ that the students can bring in with good grades "Look our students are smart!" when actually comparably speaking they are falling behind. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Van R. Butler Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	165	3	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	169
1989	183	0	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	187
1990	177	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	177
1991	197	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	199
1992	175	1	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	183
1993	187	1	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	198
1994	234	1	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	242
1995	274	0	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	283
1996	274	0	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	283
1997	342	1	3	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	352
1998	423	1	3	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	436
1999	442	1	4	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	455
2000	471	1	3	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	488
2001	532	3	4	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	554
2002	646	3	10	17	4	n/a	n/a	0	680
2003	646	3	10	17	4	n/a	n/a	0	680
2004	562	2	8	20	5	n/a	n/a	0	597
2005	579	3	9	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	611
2006	734	5	13	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	796
2007	496	4	12	34	2	n/a	n/a	8	556
2008	585	13	15	41	0	n/a	n/a	16	670
2009	600	10	16	41	0	n/a	n/a	19	686
2010	674	13	20	51	0	n/a	n/a	19	777
2011	720	9	17	77	0	1	34	0	858
2012	748	15	17	87	0	2	28	0	897
2013	732	18	21	114	0	2	28	0	915
2014	753	17	22	122	2	4	28	0	948
2015	760	14	23	125	4	2	33	0	961
2016	783	14	19	142	6	1	38	0	1003
2017	802	10	22	190	3	2	38	0	1067
2018	776	11	27	185	3	1	45	0	1048
2019	749	18	32	187	8	1	43	0	1038
2020	748	32	31	203	7	0	41	0	1062
2021	639	22	30	176	6	0	38	0	911
2022	716	24	25	169	6	0	43	0	983
2023	718	32	28	183	7	0	45	0	1013

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 Van R. Butler Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	169	10.0	16.9	37.3
1989	187	12.0	15.5	30.5
1990	177	11.0	16.0	35.6
1991	199	12.0	16.5	31.2
1992	183	12.0	15.2	33.3
1993	198	12.0	16.5	32.3
1994	242	13.0	18.6	29.3
1995	283	17.0	16.6	28.3
1996	283	17.0	16.6	28.3
1997	352	19.0	18.5	31
1998	436	26.0	16.8	17
1999	455	28.0	16.3	34.7
2000	488	28.0	17.4	31.6
2001	554	30.0	18.5	20.9
2002	680	35.0	19.4	29.3
2003	680	35.0	19.4	29.3
2004	597	35.0	17.1	27.5
2005	611	38.0	16.1	26.4
2006	796	42.0	19.0	24.6
2007	556	43.0	12.9	20.6
2008	670	47.0	14.3	19.1
2009	686	50.2	15.4	22.5
2010	777	52.0	14.9	27.7
2011	858	59.0	14.5	27.9
2012	897	57.0	15.7	29.5
2013	915	57.0	16.0	26.7
2014	948	59.0	16.0	24.9
2015	961	61.0	15.7	27.9
2016	1003	64.0	15.6	30.2
2017	1067	64.0	16.6	31.4
2018	1048	63.0	16.6	31.8
2019	1038	64.0	16.2	29
2020	1062	68.0	15.6	29
2021	911	67.0	13.5	25.7
2022	983	65.0	15.1	21.3
2023	1013	64.0	15.8	30.3

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 Van R. Butler Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	169	10.0	16.9	37.3
1989	187	12.0	15.5	30.5
1990	177	11.0	16.0	35.6
1991	199	12.0	16.5	31.2
1992	183	12.0	15.2	33.3
1993	198	12.0	16.5	32.3
1994	242	13.0	18.6	29.3
1995	283	17.0	16.6	28.3
1996	283	17.0	16.6	28.3
1997	352	19.0	18.5	31
1998	436	26.0	16.8	17
1999	455	28.0	16.3	34.7
2000	488	28.0	17.4	31.6
2001	554	30.0	18.5	20.9
2002	680	35.0	19.4	29.3
2003	680	35.0	19.4	29.3
2004	597	35.0	17.1	27.5
2005	611	38.0	16.1	26.4
2006	796	42.0	19.0	24.6
2007	556	43.0	12.9	20.6
2008	670	47.0	14.3	19.1
2009	686	50.2	15.4	22.5
2010	777	52.0	14.9	27.7
2011	858	59.0	14.5	27.9
2012	897	57.0	15.7	29.5
2013	915	57.0	16.0	26.7
2014	948	59.0	16.0	24.9
2015	961	61.0	15.7	27.9
2016	1003	64.0	15.6	30.2
2017	1067	64.0	16.6	31.4
2018	1048	63.0	16.6	31.8
2019	1038	64.0	16.2	29
2020	1062	68.0	15.6	29
2021	911	67.0	13.5	25.7
2022	983	65.0	15.1	21.3
2023	1013	64.0	15.8	30.3

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 Van R. Butler Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$227 (3.0%)	$7,351 (97.0%)	$7,578
2019	$215 (2.6%)	$7,975 (97.4%)	$8,189
2020	$245 (2.9%)	$8,324 (97.1%)	$8,569
2021	$346 (3.7%)	$8,949 (96.3%)	$9,296
2022	$791 (8.0%)	$9,070 (92.0%)	$9,860
2023	$1,254 (10.7%)	$10,430 (89.3%)	$11,683

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Van R. Butler Elementary 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 376^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 235^th of 2240 Elementary schools	6.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Van R. Butler Elementary School)	76	66	10%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Walton)	66	60	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Van R. Butler Elementary School)	71	82	11%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Walton)	65	68	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Van R. Butler Elementary School)	75	67	8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Walton)	64	66	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Van R. Butler Elementary School)	80	85	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Walton)	65	72	7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1038	1013	2.4%
African American	18	32	77.8%
American Indian	8	7	12.5%
Asian	32	28	12.5%
Hispanic	187	183	2.1%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	749	718	4.1%
Two or More Races	43	45	4.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	29%	30.3%	1.3%

Schools Near Van R. Butler Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)						FAST Math (2024)						Statewide Science Science (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Van R. Butler Elementary School	Public	K-5	6694 W County Highway 30a	Santa Rosa Beach	32459	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	No	(850) 622-5040	1,013	64	15.8	30.3%	718 (70.9%)	32 (3.2%)	183 (18.1%)	28 (2.8%)	7 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (4.4%)	86.6	267^th of 2256 public elementary schools	88.2%		87.4	235^th of 2240 public elementary schools	89.5%	32	72.0	73.0	69.0				86.0	72.0	78.0				71.0				$11,683	$1,254	$10,430
Dune Lakes Elementary School	Public	K-5	6565 Us Highway 98 E	Santa Rosa Beach	32459	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	No	(850) 622-5012	928	63	14.7	23.6%	670 (72.2%)	17 (1.8%)	197 (21.2%)	10 (1.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.2%)	86.3	275^th of 2256 public elementary schools	87.8%		88.6	206^th of 2240 public elementary schools	90.8%	69	73.0	76.0	65.0				76.0	91.0	75.0				66.0				$11,226	$1,375	$9,852
Freeport Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	15381 Us Highway 331 S	Freeport	32439	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 892-1210	1,123	64	17.4	54.7%	773 (68.8%)	34 (3.0%)	250 (22.3%)	8 (0.7%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	52 (4.6%)	73.7	555^th of 2256 public elementary schools	75.4%		64.2	750^th of 2240 public elementary schools	66.5%	195	63.0	62.0					69.0	73.0									$10,443	$1,728	$8,715
Bluewater Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4545 Range Rd	Niceville	32578	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-4240	930	56	16.6	15.7%	749 (80.5%)	18 (1.9%)	110 (11.8%)	9 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (4.6%)	90.2	174^th of 2256 public elementary schools	92.3%		93.6	75^th of 2240 public elementary schools	96.7%	99	81.0	75.0	73.0				88.0	78.0	76.0				74.0				$8,992	$1,241	$7,751
Destin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	630 Kelly St	Destin	32541	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-4360	976	59	16.5	40.9%	658 (67.4%)	53 (5.4%)	159 (16.3%)	28 (2.9%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	73 (7.5%)	81.2	372^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	83.5%		82.8	343^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	84.7%	29	62.0	72.0					72.0	83.0									$9,248	$1,361	$7,887
James E Plew Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	220 Pine Ave	Niceville	32578	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-4100	829	48	17.4	25.7%	659 (79.5%)	14 (1.7%)	76 (9.2%)	6 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (8.7%)	89.5	196^th of 2256 public elementary schools	91.3%		91.2	138^th of 2240 public elementary schools	93.8%	58	77.0	73.0	78.0				74.0	87.0	78.0				73.0				$8,992	$1,290	$7,702
Addie R. Lewis School	Public	PK, KG-8	281 Mississippi Ave	Valparaiso	32580	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 833-4130	693	46	15.0	44.3%	451 (65.1%)	72 (10.4%)	62 (8.9%)	6 (0.9%)	6 (0.9%)	6 (0.9%)	90 (13.0%)	70.4	631^st of 2256 public elementary schools	72.0%		67.1	685^th of 2240 public elementary schools	69.4%	54	44.0	66.0	77.0	67.0	56.0	68.0	45.0	64.0	80.0	57.0	76.0	69.0	77.0	72.0	95.0	73.0	$12,411	$1,954	$10,456
Lula J. Edge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Highway 85 N	Niceville	32578	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-4138	536	34	15.8	41.6%	405 (75.6%)	20 (3.7%)	42 (7.8%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (11.8%)	77	481^st of 2256 public elementary schools	78.7%		78.7	435^th of 2240 public elementary schools	80.6%	46	62.0	65.0	68.0				73.0	73.0	64.0				68.0				$10,551	$2,051	$8,499
Eglin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	200 Gaffney Rd	Eglin Afb	32542	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-4320	460	29	15.8	35.4%	203 (44.1%)	77 (16.7%)	112 (24.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (14.1%)	77.5	464^th of 2256 public elementary schools	79.4%		82.7	347^th of 2240 public elementary schools	84.5%	117	68.0	58.0					78.0	73.0									$10,724	$1,929	$8,794
Shalimar Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 Joe Martin Cir	Shalimar	32579	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 833-4339	614	36	17.0	63.2%	352 (57.3%)	73 (11.9%)	95 (15.5%)	19 (3.1%)	5 (0.8%)	4 (0.7%)	66 (10.7%)	51.3	1066^th of 2256 public elementary schools	52.7%		47.3	1152^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	48.6%	86	60.0	48.0	55.0				73.0	50.0	55.0				42.0				$10,637	$2,576	$8,063

Frequently Asked Questions about Van R. Butler Elementary School

What district is Van R. Butler Elementary School in?

Walton

How many students attend Van R. Butler Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,013 students attended Van R. Butler Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Van R. Butler Elementary School?

Students at Van R. Butler Elementary School are 71% White, 18% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Van R. Butler Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Van R. Butler 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
High : Walton Virtual Franchise

Is Van R. Butler Elementary School a good school?

Van R. Butler Elementary School ranks 267^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.