Mossy Head School

Q: Is Mossy Head School a good school?

Mossy Head School ranks 721 st of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Mossy Head School is an elementary school located in Defuniak Springs, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 439. The school is part of the Walton School District, which is ranked 16th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mossy Head School has a higher percentage of White students (71.3%) compared to the nearby schools, which have more diverse student populations. The school has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 18.9% in 2019-2020 to 31.5% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the nearby schools like James E Plew Elementary School and Lula J. Edge Elementary School. Additionally, Mossy Head School has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 85.65% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the nearby schools. However, the school has seen a steady increase in spending per student, reaching $12,637 in 2022-2023, which is higher than the nearby schools.

Academically, Mossy Head School's performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science, is generally lower than the Walton District and the state of Florida averages. For example, in 2023-2024, Mossy Head School's 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate was 53%, compared to 65% for the Walton District and 55% for Florida. The school's statewide ranking and SchoolDigger rating have also fluctuated over the years, ranging from a high of 4 stars and a ranking of 507 out of 2,247 Florida elementary schools in 2020-2021 to a low of 3 stars and a ranking of 858 out of 2,240 schools in 2022-2023. These challenges may be related to the high rates of chronic absenteeism and economic disadvantages faced by the student population at Mossy Head School.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

13270 Us Highway 90 W
Defuniak Springs, FL 32433

(850) 892-1290

District: Walton

SchoolDigger Rank:
721^st of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,637

Students who attend Mossy Head 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: 16.7

Number of students: 504

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.2%

Hispanic:

19.4%

Two or more races:

6.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Mossy Head School ranks better than 68% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 5^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Walton School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 65.95. (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 (69.2%), Hispanic (19.4%), two or more races (6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Walton School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mossy Head School is 16.7, which is the highest among 7 elementary schools in the Walton School District! (See more...)

Compare Mossy Head School employs 30.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mossy Head School is $12,637, which is the 3^rd highest among 6 elementary schools in the Walton School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Mossy Head 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.)

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Rank History for Mossy Head School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2010	70.10	571^st	1919	70.2%
2011	76.50	431^st	1985	78.3%
2012	64.36	704^th	1984	64.5%
2013	72.78	502^nd	2029	75.3%
2014	69.62	590^th	2064	71.4%
2016	65.74	702^nd	2087	66.4%
2017	73.97	528^th	2112	75.0%
2018	52.83	977^th	2118	53.9%
2019	54.82	970^th	2182	55.5%
2021	76.28	507^th	2247	77.4%
2022	74.33	543^rd	2219	75.5%
2023	59.36	858^th	2240	61.7%
2024	65.95	721^st	2256	68.0%

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

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Enrollment information for Mossy Head School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	225	1	0	13	4	n/a	n/a	11	254
2010	237	6	0	15	3	n/a	n/a	11	272
2011	263	7	0	27	3	0	17	0	317
2012	268	1	1	25	2	0	18	0	315
2013	269	2	1	20	2	0	16	0	310
2014	265	7	1	18	1	0	20	0	312
2015	302	7	2	25	0	0	17	0	353
2016	300	6	2	22	0	0	16	0	346
2017	262	7	1	25	0	0	14	0	309
2018	325	6	1	52	0	0	20	0	404
2019	346	2	0	52	4	0	23	0	427
2020	335	8	1	65	4	0	22	0	435
2021	293	4	3	66	4	1	19	0	390
2022	281	5	6	77	6	2	24	0	401
2023	313	15	4	72	5	1	29	0	439
2024	349	16	4	98	6	1	30	0	504

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 Mossy Head School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	254	19.8	14.5	72.4
2010	272	22.0	12.3	57.1
2011	317	23.8	13.3	75.1
2012	315	21.6	14.5	80.3
2013	310	23.0	13.4	76.5
2014	312	24.0	13.0	78.8
2015	353	23.0	15.3	72.5
2016	346	23.0	15.0	81.8
2017	309	21.0	14.7	80.9
2018	404	24.0	16.8	87.1
2019	427	25.0	17.0	81
2020	435	26.0	16.7	82.8
2021	390	28.0	13.9	75.9
2022	401	24.5	16.3	72.3
2023	439	28.0	15.6	85.6
2024	504	30.1	16.7	85.7

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 Mossy Head School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	254	19.8	14.5	72.4
2010	272	22.0	12.3	57.1
2011	317	23.8	13.3	75.1
2012	315	21.6	14.5	80.3
2013	310	23.0	13.4	76.5
2014	312	24.0	13.0	78.8
2015	353	23.0	15.3	72.5
2016	346	23.0	15.0	81.8
2017	309	21.0	14.7	80.9
2018	404	24.0	16.8	87.1
2019	427	25.0	17.0	81
2020	435	26.0	16.7	82.8
2021	390	28.0	13.9	75.9
2022	401	24.5	16.3	72.3
2023	439	28.0	15.6	85.6
2024	504	30.1	16.7	85.7

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 Mossy Head School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$915 (12.3%)	$6,525 (87.7%)	$7,440
2019	$968 (11.5%)	$7,478 (88.5%)	$8,445
2020	$1,141 (12.4%)	$8,092 (87.6%)	$9,233
2021	$1,352 (12.8%)	$9,177 (87.2%)	$10,529
2022	$1,611 (15.4%)	$8,824 (84.6%)	$10,435
2023	$2,147 (17.0%)	$10,490 (83.0%)	$12,637

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mossy Head 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 970^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 858^th of 2240 Elementary schools	6.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mossy Head School)	53	59	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Walton)	66	60	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mossy Head School)	62	61	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Walton)	65	68	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mossy Head School)	57	75	18%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Walton)	64	66	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mossy Head School)	61	83	22%
4th Grade Mathematics (Walton)	65	72	7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mossy Head School)	60	57	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Walton)	64	65	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mossy Head School)	59	69	10%
5th Grade Mathematics (Walton)	55	66	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Mossy Head School)	63	60	3%
5th Grade Science (Walton)	61	67	6%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	427	439	2.8%
African American	2	15	650%
American Indian	4	5	25%
Asian	0	4
Hispanic	52	72	38.5%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	346	313	9.5%
Two or More Races	23	29	26.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	81%	85.6%	4.6%

Schools Near Mossy Head 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)	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 Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mossy Head School	Public	PK, KG-5	13270 Us Highway 90 W	Defuniak Springs	32433	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 892-1290	504	30	16.7	85.7%	349 (69.2%)	16 (3.2%)	98 (19.4%)	4 (0.8%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.0%)	65.9	721^st of 2256 public elementary schools	68.0%		59.4	858^th of 2240 public elementary schools	61.7%	137	53.0	56.0	67.0	63.0	68.0	66.0	59.0	$12,637	$2,147	$10,490
West Defuniak Elementary School	Public	K-5	815 Lincoln Ave	Defuniak Springs	32435	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 892-1250	699	47	14.8	70.7%	418 (59.8%)	67 (9.6%)	152 (21.7%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (8.0%)	73.8	554^th of 2256 public elementary schools	75.4%		75.7	491^st of 2240 public elementary schools	78.1%	63	67.0	60.0	64.0	57.0	70.0	79.0	69.0	$12,694	$2,137	$10,558
Maude Saunders Elementary School	Public	K-5	416 John Baldwin Rd	Defuniak Springs	32433	Walton County	Walton	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 892-1260	561	40	14.1	85.0%	326 (58.1%)	83 (14.8%)	96 (17.1%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	49 (8.7%)	39.5	1356^th of 2256 public elementary schools	39.9%		51.7	1055^th of 2240 public elementary schools	52.9%	301	54.0	44.0	48.0	66.0	47.0	43.0	36.0	$14,924	$2,626	$12,299
Riverside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 E Redstone Ave	Crestview	32539	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 689-7203	991	57	17.3	57.0%	536 (54.1%)	161 (16.2%)	140 (14.1%)	11 (1.1%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	138 (13.9%)	63.3	791^st of 2256 public elementary schools	64.9%		57.2	910^th of 2240 public elementary schools	59.4%	119	51.0	57.0	64.0	72.0	64.0	59.0	54.0	$9,216	$1,882	$7,334
Walker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2988 Stillwell Blvd	Crestview	32539	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 689-7220	848	52	16.3	57.3%	553 (65.2%)	119 (14.0%)	81 (9.6%)	5 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	10 (1.2%)	77 (9.1%)	62.6	805^th of 2256 public elementary schools	64.3%		58.9	869^th of 2240 public elementary schools	61.2%	64	61.0	65.0	54.0	70.0	67.0	51.0	45.0	$10,330	$1,943	$8,388
Southside Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	650 S Pearl St	Crestview	32539	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 689-7203	267	24	11.3	62.5%	162 (60.7%)	35 (13.1%)	29 (10.9%)	7 (2.6%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	30 (11.2%)								(n/a)
Northwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 4th Ave	Crestview	32536	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 689-7252	840	47	17.8	64.2%	510 (60.7%)	129 (15.4%)	79 (9.4%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	109 (13.0%)	62.9	802^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	64.5%		69.8	631^st of 2240 public elementary schools	71.8%	171	54.0	64.0	59.0	55.0	68.0	60.0	68.0	$9,953	$2,027	$7,926
Bob Sikes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	425 Adams Dr	Crestview	32536	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 689-7268	813	43	18.9	53.3%	545 (67.0%)	74 (9.1%)	100 (12.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.0%)	84 (10.3%)	52.1	1043^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	53.8%		63.3	767^th of 2240 public elementary schools	65.8%	276	50.0	66.0	52.0	45.0	77.0	45.0	50.0	$8,822	$1,971	$6,850
Antioch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4700 Whitehurst Ln	Crestview	32536	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 683-7540	965	55	17.5	44.2%	555 (57.5%)	110 (11.4%)	162 (16.8%)	18 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	117 (12.1%)	80.1	405^th of 2256 public elementary schools	82.0%		78.1	446^th of 2240 public elementary schools	80.1%	41	74.0	66.0	66.0	80.0	79.0	69.0	56.0	$9,256	$1,531	$7,725
James E Plew Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	220 Pine Ave	Niceville	32578	Okaloosa County	Okaloosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 833-4100	820	48	17.0	24.3%	625 (76.2%)	17 (2.1%)	86 (10.5%)	13 (1.6%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	75 (9.1%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Mossy Head School

What district is Mossy Head School in?

Walton

What is the racial makeup of Mossy Head School?

Students at Mossy Head School are 69% White, 19% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Mossy Head School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 504 students attended Mossy Head School.

What schools do graduates of Mossy Head School attend?

Students who attend Mossy Head 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 Mossy Head School a good school?

Mossy Head School ranks 721^st of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 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.