Public schools in Fort Walton Beach, FL
15 open public schools with an address in Fort Walton Beach, operated by 1 education agency. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
15
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
8,182
15 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
17.1:1
Florida median 16.8:1
Charter schools
2
2 virtual
An overview of Fort Walton Beach public schools
The federal directory lists 15 public schools in Fort Walton Beach, FL: 5 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high, 3 combined or other. The 15 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 8,182 students, an average of 545 per school. The largest campus is Choctawhatchee Senior High School (1,720 students), and the largest elementary school is Liza Jackson Preparatory School (977).
Every listed school belongs to Okaloosa. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 17.1:1, similar to the statewide school median of 16.8:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 2 charter schools, 2 virtual schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 6 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 6 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 57% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Fort Walton Beach
Elementary schools in Fort Walton Beach
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annette P. Edwins Elementary School Okaloosa | PK–05 | 490 | 16.9:1 | |
| Elliott Point Elementary School Okaloosa | PK–05 | 583 | 17.1:1 | |
| Kenwood Elementary School Okaloosa | PK–05 | 471 | 13.9:1 | |
| Liza Jackson Preparatory School Okaloosa · Charter | KG–08 | 977 | 16.3:1 | |
| Wright Elementary School Okaloosa | PK–05 | 609 | 16.9:1 |
Middle schools in Fort Walton Beach
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Bruner Junior Middle School Okaloosa | 06–08 | 677 | 18.3:1 | |
| Northwest Florida Ballet Academie Okaloosa | 03–08 | 134 | 17.6:1 | |
| W. C. Pryor Middle School Okaloosa | 06–08 | 721 | 20:1 |
High schools in Fort Walton Beach
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choctawhatchee Senior High School Okaloosa | 09–12 | 1,720 | 21.4:1 | |
| Fort Walton Beach High School Okaloosa | 09–12 | 1,550 | 21.7:1 | |
| Okaloosa Technical College Okaloosa · Alternative School | 07–12 | 42 | 7:1 | |
| Okaloosa Virtual Franchise Okaloosa · Virtual | 06–12 | 0 | — |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Fort Walton Beach
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okaloosa Academy Okaloosa · Charter · Alternative School | 02–12 | 115 | 57.5:1 | |
| Okaloosa Virtual Instruction Program Okaloosa · Virtual | KG–12 | 0 | — | |
| Silver Sands-Excep. Children Okaloosa · Special Education School | PK–12 | 93 | 5.5:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White46.8%
- Hispanic26.8%
- Black13.2%
- Asian2.2%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.5%
- Multiracial10.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 13 Fort Walton Beach schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (8,182 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Fort Walton Beach
How many public schools are in Fort Walton Beach, FL?
The current NCES directory lists 15 open public schools with a location address in Fort Walton Beach: 5 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 8,182 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Fort Walton Beach?
All listed public schools with an address in Fort Walton Beach belong to Okaloosa. Mailing cities do not always match district boundaries, so confirm the district for a specific home address.
What is the largest public high school in Fort Walton Beach?
Choctawhatchee Senior High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Fort Walton Beach, with 1,720 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Fort Walton Beach?
Yes. 2 of the 15 public schools in Fort Walton Beach are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Liza Jackson Preparatory School, Okaloosa Academy. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Fort Walton Beach schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Fort Walton Beach public schools is 17.1:1, similar to the Florida school median of 16.8:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Fort Walton Beach guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Florida cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Florida cities