Have you seen a new light shining in Paxton?! The Paxton School marquee brightens Highway 331. The perfect reminder of how education lights the way for our communities.
Paxton has always been more than a school — it’s the centerpiece of a community. Each student, teacher, family, and community member that crosses the threshold of Paxton School takes a little of that light into their community.
When schools shine, communities shine — and Paxton’s light is shining bright!!
The Florida Association of School Safety Specialists (FS3) held their yearly regional meeting at the Walton County School District's CHAT Center today. Region 1 is comprised of 17 counties from Taylor County all the way to Escambia County. FS3 is a statewide organization committed to ensuring the safety of our students. FS3 is made up of School Safety Specialists, District Threat Management Coordinators, and Mental Health Specialists - all with the same goal of keeping kids safe physically and emotionally. The Region 1 meeting gives these professionals a forum to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and learn from industry experts. We are here to learn, but our first priority is to ensure the safety of our students.
The busses you see these days are not the busses you remember from your youth! These days our school busses are packed with useful features to ensure your child is as safe as possible on their way to school!
Congratulations to Mr. Scharver — The District Office's Educational Support Professional of the Year!
Mr. Scharver, Plant Manager for the District Office, was selected for this well-deserved recognition for his outstanding work ethic, positive attitude, and willingness to lend a hand. Employees at the District Office met to watch Superintendent Hughes recognize Scharver.
In his four years with the District, Mr. Scharver has become known for his cheerful spirit and can-do attitude that brighten everyone’s day. Whether it’s tackling a tough project or helping a coworker, he does it all with a smile!
Please join us in celebrating Mr. Scharver, our District Office 2025 ESP of the Year!
The Walton County School District believes in Preparing the Whole Child for a Life of Success - that means being able to explore your passions in whatever form they manifest. Mrs. Gomillion's beginning band students were working diligently on their fundamentals today. Music, while being a worthy area of study on it's own, does incorporate and bring to life math, physics, language arts, and more. Whether your passion is sports, drama, music, or anything else - you can explore it in the WCSD!
On Boss's Day we'd like to thank Superintendent A. Russell Hughes for his leadership and dedication to all the employees of the Walton County School District. We wouldn't be where we are without your vision and tireless devotion to our students, staff, and community!
Wow! Talk about The Whole Child! The students at Maude Saunders Elementary are showing off their artistic skills with their elaborate pumpkin display!
Dune Lakes Elementary is celebrating National School Lunch Week with style!
It's National School Lunch Week! Our students are headed around the world as they grab their school lunch passport! Today, students at FES are tasting Mexico with Taco Tuesday.
Did you know that tacos are thought to come from Mexico, long before the Spanish arrived. Ancient Mexicans used freshly made, soft, flat corn tortillas and filled them with things like fish and cooked organs. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, they introduced new ingredients like pork, beef, and cheese, which were incorporated into the existing dishes, leading to the evolution of the modern taco!
Mmmmm, look at those fresh ingredients!
The Walton County School District is proud to announce that
five schools have been named Schools of Excellence for the 2024–2025 school year by the
Florida Department of Education. This distinction is awarded to schools performing in the top 20
percent statewide in academic achievement for at least two of the last three years.
The schools recognized with this honor are Dune Lakes Elementary, Van R. Butler Elementary,
Emerald Coast Middle School, Freeport High School, and South Walton High School.
In addition, Walton County School District itself has again been designated an Academically
High-Performing District, meeting rigorous criteria for school grades, financial responsibility,
and class size compliance. This success highlights our community’s widespread commitment to
The Walton County Way, or EPIC. This distinction is further proof that we were all In the Boat
for the Goal for the 24-25 school year.
Once ranked in the middle of Florida districts (2015-2016), Walton County has continued to improve its standing for the last nine years. Walton now proudly sits among the top three districts in the state for academic performance, #2 for graduation rate, and #1 in Education according to the Florida Policy Institute.
Superintendent A. Russell Hughes commended the accomplishment, stating:
“This designation speaks to what we can accomplish when everyone is In the Boat for The Goal, rowing in the same direction. Congratulations to our students, educators, school board, parents, and community partners for their EPIC commitment to our district.”
The 25-26 school year is off to an energetic start as students are Keeping the Charge Through DC Power. DC power flows from negative to positive, and Superintendent A. Russell Hughes is urging everyone to Keep the Charge and turn any negative into a positive this year.
five schools have been named Schools of Excellence for the 2024–2025 school year by the
Florida Department of Education. This distinction is awarded to schools performing in the top 20
percent statewide in academic achievement for at least two of the last three years.
The schools recognized with this honor are Dune Lakes Elementary, Van R. Butler Elementary,
Emerald Coast Middle School, Freeport High School, and South Walton High School.
In addition, Walton County School District itself has again been designated an Academically
High-Performing District, meeting rigorous criteria for school grades, financial responsibility,
and class size compliance. This success highlights our community’s widespread commitment to
The Walton County Way, or EPIC. This distinction is further proof that we were all In the Boat
for the Goal for the 24-25 school year.
Once ranked in the middle of Florida districts (2015-2016), Walton County has continued to improve its standing for the last nine years. Walton now proudly sits among the top three districts in the state for academic performance, #2 for graduation rate, and #1 in Education according to the Florida Policy Institute.
Superintendent A. Russell Hughes commended the accomplishment, stating:
“This designation speaks to what we can accomplish when everyone is In the Boat for The Goal, rowing in the same direction. Congratulations to our students, educators, school board, parents, and community partners for their EPIC commitment to our district.”
The 25-26 school year is off to an energetic start as students are Keeping the Charge Through DC Power. DC power flows from negative to positive, and Superintendent A. Russell Hughes is urging everyone to Keep the Charge and turn any negative into a positive this year.
Yes, we WILL have school on Monday, October 13th (Columbus Day).
Check out the full official District calendar here:
https://www.walton.k12.fl.us/page/calendars
It's #SuperSelfieSunday! If you've been around for any time at all, you know Superintendent Hughes wants every child in the District to be in a SuperSelfie.
Have YOU been in a SuperSelfie?! Share it with us!
The District Office showed out in green today to Support South Walton High School Homecoming! The parade is today at 1:30, and the game is at 7pm! We will see you there!
Just a reminder - Friday is a Teacher Workday. Students are out while our teachers wrap up the 1st Nine Weeks.
October is a busy month! Save this image to ensure you don't miss a thing! Oh yea, tell your Principal how awesome they are sometime this month as well.
Walton County School District is seeking a skilled Facilities Planner to help shape the future of our schools. This role is all about long-range planning—analyzing growth, coordinating with community partners, and ensuring our schools have the space and resources to serve every student.
If you have a passion for planning, problem-solving, and making a direct impact on education in Walton County, we want to hear from you!
Check out the job description: https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3957/Wcsd/27a5a88a-154b-4e6e-9843-b8c95ee08275/Facilities-Planner.pdf?disposition=inline
Apply Online: www.walton.k12.fl.us/employment
If you have a passion for planning, problem-solving, and making a direct impact on education in Walton County, we want to hear from you!
Check out the job description: https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3957/Wcsd/27a5a88a-154b-4e6e-9843-b8c95ee08275/Facilities-Planner.pdf?disposition=inline
Apply Online: www.walton.k12.fl.us/employment
Van R. Butler Elementary turned up the flavor and the fun at this year’s Cultural Night!
The event highlighted the incredible diversity of the school community with families sharing dishes from their heritage that kept everyone coming back for seconds (and thirds!). Local partners joined in to celebrate and support Butler’s Hispanic community, while Emerald Coast Technical College Director Michael Smithart wowed families with opportunities available through ECTC programs. School staff were also on hand to make sure families stayed connected by tackling any tech questions with ease.
Oh, and did we mention the food? Because there was a lot of food—and it was amazing.
The event highlighted the incredible diversity of the school community with families sharing dishes from their heritage that kept everyone coming back for seconds (and thirds!). Local partners joined in to celebrate and support Butler’s Hispanic community, while Emerald Coast Technical College Director Michael Smithart wowed families with opportunities available through ECTC programs. School staff were also on hand to make sure families stayed connected by tackling any tech questions with ease.
Oh, and did we mention the food? Because there was a lot of food—and it was amazing.
Today kicked off 15th Annual Music in Pictures - a collaboration between the Rosemary Beach Foundation and the Walton County School District. Art teachers from across the district gathered to hear Benjamin Sung, Professor of Violin at Florida State University perform and introduce the music for this year's event. Students will listen to these works and express what they hear through their art. Thank you to the Rosemary Beach Foundation and Dr. Sung - be on the lookout for some amazing art from our students very soon!
Superintendent Hughes spoke at the State Board of Education meeting on Wednesday held at the FWB Northwest Florida State College campus. He was able to highlight some of our innovative programs and the EPIC outcomes associated with them!
Congratulations to all on a great Homecoming at WHS! See the full gallery here :https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19fSThMb9e/
