Destin High School

Q: Is Destin High School a good school?

Destin High School ranks 288 th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Destin High School is a public charter high school serving around 470 students in grades 9-12 in Destin, Florida, which is part of the Okaloosa School District. While the district is ranked 12th out of 68 in the state and has a 4-star rating, Destin High School's performance lags behind some of its higher-performing neighbors.

Destin High School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (79.36%) compared to nearby schools, which have more diverse student populations. The school's test scores are generally lower than the district and state averages across subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates in Algebra 1 (48%), Geometry (65%), and 10th grade ELA (44%) all falling below the district and state averages. Additionally, Destin High School has a lower four-year graduation rate (80.3%) than Collegiate High School (100%) and Niceville Senior High School (96.1%), and a higher chronic absenteeism rate (26.6%) compared to those schools (11.3% and 14.1%, respectively).

However, Destin High School serves a relatively affluent student population, with only 10.64% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, compared to higher rates at other nearby schools like Choctawhatchee Senior High (51.82%) and Fort Walton Beach High (41.98%). This may contribute to the school's lower chronic absenteeism rate and higher graduation rate compared to some of the other schools in the Okaloosa School District. However, the school's lack of racial diversity and the decrease in spending per student from $16,026 in 2021-2022 to $10,474 in 2022-2023 are areas that warrant further investigation and potential improvement.

Detail:

Public, Charter 9-12

4325 Commons Drive
Destin, FL 32541

(850) 424-1664

District: Okaloosa

SchoolDigger Rank:
288^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,474

Student/teacher ratio: 21.4

Number of students: 557

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.5%

Hispanic:

10.4%

African American:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Destin High School ranks better than 64.3% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked high schools in the Okaloosa School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.23. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Destin High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 (76.5%), Hispanic (10.4%), African American (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Destin High School is 21.4, which is the 6^th best among 6 high schools in the Okaloosa School District. (See more...)

Compare Destin High School employs 26 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Destin High School is $10,474, which is the 2^nd highest among 6 high schools in the Okaloosa School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Destin High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Destin High School 288^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Destin High School in the ranking list.)

Okaloosa:

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

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Rank History for Destin High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	53.80	248^th	792	68.7%
2024	51.23	288^th	807	64.3%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Destin High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2022	238	10	8	18	2	0	7	283
2023	373	29	12	36	4	0	16	470
2024	426	36	12	58	4	1	20	557

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 Destin High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	283	n/a	n/a	1.4
2023	470	0.0	n/a	10.6
2024	557	26.0	21.4	18

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 Destin High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	283	n/a	n/a	1.4
2023	470	0.0	n/a	10.6
2024	557	26.0	21.4	18

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 Destin High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2022	$1,984 (12.4%)	$14,042 (87.6%)	$16,026
2023	$1,174 (11.2%)	$9,300 (88.8%)	$10,474

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Schools Near Destin High 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)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (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 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Destin High School	Public, Charter	9-12	4325 Commons Drive	Destin	32541	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 424-1664	557	26	21.4	18.0%	426 (76.5%)	36 (6.5%)	58 (10.4%)	12 (2.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.6%)	51.2	288^th of 807 public high schools	64.3%		53.8	248^th of 792 public high schools	68.7%	40	58.0	44.0	48.0	65.0	70.0	62.0	$10,474	$1,174	$9,300
Okaloosa Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual	6-12	310 Perry Avenue SE	Fort Walton Beach	32548	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	Yes	No	(850) 833-3533	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Choctawhatchee Senior High School	Public	9-12	110 Racetrack Rd NW	Fort Walton Beach	32547	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-3614	1,701	83	20.5	50.4%	926 (54.4%)	198 (11.6%)	353 (20.8%)	30 (1.8%)	9 (0.5%)	10 (0.6%)	175 (10.3%)	44.4	373^rd of 807 public high schools	53.8%		45.6	333^rd of 792 public high schools	58.0%	40	43.0	50.0	28.0	54.0	64.0	77.0	$9,211	$1,091	$8,121
Niceville Senior High School	Public	9-12	800 John Sims Pkwy E	Niceville	32578	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-4114	1,998	85	23.3	18.1%	1,520 (76.1%)	93 (4.7%)	172 (8.6%)	32 (1.6%)	9 (0.5%)	7 (0.4%)	165 (8.3%)	73.9	110^th of 807 public high schools	86.4%		78.2	83^rd of 792 public high schools	89.5%	27	71.0	65.0	69.0	77.0	84.0	77.0	$9,522	$1,033	$8,489
Okaloosa Technical College	Public	7-12	1976 Lewis Turner Blvd	Fort Walton Beach	32547	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-3500	43	6	7.1	34.9%	29 (67.4%)	3 (7.0%)	9 (20.9%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)								(n/a)							$40,803	$9,866	$30,937
Fort Walton Beach High School	Public	9-12	400 Hollywood Blvd SW	Fort Walton Beach	32548	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-3300	1,558	76	20.6	39.5%	833 (53.5%)	213 (13.7%)	302 (19.4%)	47 (3.0%)	4 (0.3%)	13 (0.8%)	146 (9.4%)	51.1	290^th of 807 public high schools	64.1%		56.2	229^th of 792 public high schools	71.1%	61	50.0	55.0	40.0	56.0	63.0	79.0	$10,196	$1,236	$8,959
Contracted Residential Services	Public	6-12	101 A Business Center Dr	Miramar	32550	Walton County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 863-4160	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Collegiate High School At Northwest Florida State College	Public, Charter	9-12	100 College Blvd E	Niceville	32578	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 729-4949	423	10	42.3	19.1%	280 (66.2%)	23 (5.4%)	46 (10.9%)	18 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (12.8%)	90.8	16^th of 807 public high schools	98.0%		92.2	13^th of 792 public high schools	98.4%	3	90.0	91.0	82.0	93.0	99.0	95.0	$5,972	$54	$5,919
South Walton High School	Public	9-12	645 Greenway Trl	Santa Rosa Beach	32459	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	No	(850) 622-5020	1,112	59	18.9	20.6%	843 (75.8%)	20 (1.8%)	197 (17.7%)	14 (1.3%)	6 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (2.9%)	77	86^th of 807 public high schools	89.3%		79.8	73^rd of 792 public high schools	90.8%	13	70.0	66.0	67.0	77.0	88.0	91.0	$10,652	$1,035	$9,618

Frequently Asked Questions about Destin High School

How many students attend Destin High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 557 students attended Destin High School.

Is Destin High School a good school?

Destin High School ranks 288^th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Destin High School?

Students at Destin High School are 76% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Destin High School in?

Okaloosa

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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.