RIDING A WAIVER: There are winners and losers as families opt out of nearest schools.

Byline: Zac Anderson

May 21--Jason Baker approached high school the same way many students approach college.

The Destin resident visited two local schools as an eighth-grader and weighed their pros and cons.

In the end, he decided to attend Niceville High School, the same school his father graduated from and the one that seemed to offer all the programs he wanted.

Baker was zoned to attend Fort Walton Beach High School, but the Okaloosa County School District has a long-standing policy that allows students to attend the school of their choice as long as they provide their own transportation.

"I'm really glad that I had that choice," said Baker, a junior who will be president of his class next year. "Niceville had everything I was looking for."

More than 2,000 students -- or about 7 percent of the Okaloosa's student body -- attend a school outside of their zone on waivers. The policy is promoted as a way to provide families with more control while also encouraging what district officials describe as "healthy competition" among schools.

However, a Daily News analysis of the district's zoning waiver database revealed that the system also exacerbates inequalities in race, income and achievement levels between some schools.

For example, the data showed that waivered students are wealthier than their peers at Niceville, a school in a relatively affluent area, and they have fewer learning disabilities.

When it comes to students waivering out, Pryor Middle School has been one of the biggest losers, along with Richbourg Middle School in Crestview and Crestview High School.

A disproportionate number…