Walton County
Walton County is a public school district based in Defuniak Springs, Florida, serving 12,007 students in 21 schools. By enrollment it ranks #38 of the 66 Florida districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 43% of them. Its schools average 572 students each, about the same as the Florida median of 572. Its superintendent is Russell Hughes. It spends about $10,970 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 14.8 students per teacher.
How Walton County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Walton County | Florida median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,970 | $10,483 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,677 | $5,885 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $149.2 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $152.7 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 814 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 1,729 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 14.8 | 17.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 572 | 428 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Florida median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Russell Hughes
Source: Florida Department of Education, Superintendents, checked 2026-10-04. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Florida
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hendry CountyLabelle | 13,698 | 16 | $6,280 | 39.7 | #34 |
| Flagler CountyBunnell | 13,521 | 13 | $9,108 | 17.7 | #35 |
| Nassau CountyFernandina Beach | 12,575 | 22 | $9,539 | 15.6 | #36 |
| Highlands CountySebring | 12,040 | 24 | $10,202 | 18.4 | #37 |
| Walton CountyDefuniak Springs · this district | 12,007 | 21 | $10,970 | 14.8 | #38 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Chester Area School DistrictExton, PA | 12,042 | $16,327 | 12.7 |
| Oldham CountyBuckner, KY | 12,038 | $10,894 | 16.8 |
| Lakeville Area SchoolsLakeville, MN | 12,025 | $13,697 | 16.9 |
| Passaic City School DistrictPassaic, NJ | 12,012 | $25,341 | 12.5 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-fl-walton-county