Bay County Schools & Education
Bay County, Florida
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
35/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
89.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
89.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 89.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,445
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,118
School Score
35/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 36/100
State Score Position
#39
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Bay County
Measured School Summary
Bay County faces educational challenges with a school score of 35/100 and a graduation rate of 89.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $6,445 per pupil, Bay County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 4% below the Florida average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Bay County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
49 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
35/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #39 of 67 Florida counties with school score data.
Completion
89.0%
0.8 pts below the state average
Funding context
$6,445
$327 above the state average
School coverage
49
1 district represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Bay County has 49 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Bay County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
BAY carries most of the listed public-school system, with 49 of 49 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#39
of 67 Florida counties with school score data. The county score is 1 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
BAY
Elementary to high school visible
27,323 students
49 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
BAY is the largest listed district slice, with 49 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Bay County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Bay County, Florida
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
Diverse Learning Options Across Bay
Bay County features 49 public schools, offering a broad infrastructure that supports 27,323 students. The county provides 24 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, and 12 high schools, ensuring variety across all age groups. A single district oversees the entire network, including specialized alternative and special education facilities.
A Flourishing Charter School Sector
The Bay District manages the entire county enrollment of 27,323 students through a mix of traditional and alternative settings. Charter schools represent nearly a quarter of the landscape, with 12 schools making up 24.5% of the total options. This significant charter presence offers families a wide range of specialized curricula and local choice.
Balanced Urban and Suburban Environments
The school landscape is almost evenly split between city locales (21) and suburban settings (20), with a few rural outposts. While the average school size is 569 students, the largest campus, A. Crawford Mosley High School, serves 1,901 students. This balance allows families to choose between a bustling city school or a quieter suburban campus.
School Overview
Total Schools
49
in Bay County
Reported Enrollment
27,323
49 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
12
24% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Bay County
49 Public Schools in Bay County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 6 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 49 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. CRAWFORD MOSLEY HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | BAY | LYNN HAVEN, 32444Suburb: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 1,901 |
| DEANE BOZEMAN SCHOOL | Profile | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32409Rural: Distant | PK–12 | Other | 1,619 |
| J.R. ARNOLD HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | BAY | PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32407Suburb: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 1,617 |
| RUTHERFORD HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32401Suburb: Midsize | 6–12 | High | 1,337 |
| BAY HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32401City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,255 |
| BREAKFAST POINT ACADEMY | Profile | BAY | PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32407Suburb: Midsize | PK–8 | Primary | 1,058 |
| NORTH BAY HAVEN CAREER ACADEMY | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32404Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | Charter | 897 |
| MOWAT MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | BAY | LYNN HAVEN, 32444Suburb: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 868 |
| SURFSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32413Suburb: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 843 |
| TYNDALL ACADEMY | Record | BAY | TYNDALL AFB, 32403Suburb: Midsize | PK–8 | Primary | 800 |
| BAY HAVEN CHARTER ACADEMY | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32405Suburb: Midsize | KG–5 | Charter | 765 |
| DEER POINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32404Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 705 |
| MERRITT BROWN MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32404Suburb: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 701 |
| LYNN HAVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BAY | LYNN HAVEN, 32444Suburb: Midsize | PK–5 | Primary | 699 |
| NORTH BAY HAVEN CHARTER ACADEMY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32404Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Charter | 695 |
| UNIVERSITY ACADEMY SABL INC | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32405City: Small | KG–8 | Charter | 688 |
| PATRONIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32408Suburb: Midsize | KG–5 | Primary | 648 |
| HILAND PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32405Suburb: Midsize | PK–5 | Primary | 643 |
| TOMMY SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY, 32404Suburb: Midsize | PK–5 | Primary | 639 |
| HUTCHISON BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BAY | PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32407Suburb: Midsize | KG–5 | Primary | 621 |
A. CRAWFORD MOSLEY HIGH SCHOOL
BAY
LYNN HAVEN, 32444 / Suburb: Midsize
DEANE BOZEMAN SCHOOL
BAY
PANAMA CITY, 32409 / Rural: Distant
J.R. ARNOLD HIGH SCHOOL
BAY
PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32407 / Suburb: Midsize
RUTHERFORD HIGH SCHOOL
BAY
PANAMA CITY, 32401 / Suburb: Midsize
BAY HIGH SCHOOL
BAY
PANAMA CITY, 32401 / City: Small
BREAKFAST POINT ACADEMY
BAY
PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32407 / Suburb: Midsize
NORTH BAY HAVEN CHARTER ACADEMY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BAY
PANAMA CITY, 32404 / Rural: Fringe
PATRONIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BAY
PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32408 / Suburb: Midsize
HUTCHISON BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BAY
PANAMA CITY BEACH, 32407 / Suburb: Midsize
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,445
State avg $6,118
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Bay County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Florida?
How should I read the school score in Bay County?
What is the graduation rate in Bay County?
How much does Bay County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Bay County, Florida — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Bay County, Florida?
Bay County features 49 public schools, offering a broad infrastructure that supports 27,323 students. The county provides 24 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, and 12 high schools, ensuring variety across all age groups. A single district oversees the entire network, including specialized alternative and special education facilities.
What are the major school districts in Bay County, Florida?
The Bay District manages the entire county enrollment of 27,323 students through a mix of traditional and alternative settings. Charter schools represent nearly a quarter of the landscape, with 12 schools making up 24.5% of the total options. This significant charter presence offers families a wide range of specialized curricula and local choice.
What is the school experience like in Bay County?
The school landscape is almost evenly split between city locales (21) and suburban settings (20), with a few rural outposts. While the average school size is 569 students, the largest campus, A. Crawford Mosley High School, serves 1,901 students. This balance allows families to choose between a bustling city school or a quieter suburban campus.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.