WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE)

WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE), a cozy combined-grade school in DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Florida, overseen by WALTON, enrolls 264 students, covering grades pre-K through 12. By comparison, Florida's public schools average about 353 students each, so WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE) sits 25% smaller than that benchmark.

WALTON comprises 22 schools with combined enrollment of 12,069 students; WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE) is among them.

Looking at the student body, WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE) records that the largest single group is White, at 64% of enrollment. The remainder consists of 17% Hispanic, 9% Black, 9% multiracial. By comparison, Walton County as a whole is about 84% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 9.8:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 17.7:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 80% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is noticeably above Walton County's rate of about 47%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Walton County put median household income runs about $81,986, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. Across Walton County's 26 public schools (combined enrollment of about 12,069 students), WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE) is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is WALTON HIGH SCHOOL, roughly 0.2 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at WALTON INITIATIVE FOR SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (WISE) has rose 87%, going from 141 students in 2018 to 264 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share edged up from 11% to 17%.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.