Public schools in Panama City Beach, FL
7 open public schools with an address in Panama City Beach, operated by 1 education agency. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
7
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
5,467
7 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
16.4:1
Florida median 16.8:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Panama City Beach public schools
The federal directory lists 7 public schools in Panama City Beach, FL: 5 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined or other. The 7 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 5,467 students, an average of 781 per school. The largest campus is J.R. Arnold High School (1,629 students), and the largest elementary school is Breakfast Point Academy (1,089).
Every listed school belongs to Bay. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 16.4:1, similar to the statewide school median of 16.8:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
About 36% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Panama City Beach
Elementary schools in Panama City Beach
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Gary Walsingham Academy Bay | PK–05 | 470 | 16.8:1 | |
| Breakfast Point Academy Bay | PK–08 | 1,089 | 15.6:1 | |
| Hutchison Beach Elementary School Bay | KG–05 | 573 | 16.9:1 | |
| Patronis Elementary School Bay | KG–05 | 589 | 15.5:1 | |
| West Bay Elementary School Bay | PK–05 | 362 | 15.7:1 |
High schools in Panama City Beach
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.R. Arnold High School Bay | 09–12 | 1,629 | 21.2:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Panama City Beach
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfside Middle School Bay | PK–12 | 755 | 16.4:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White63.3%
- Hispanic15.9%
- Black10.8%
- Asian2.4%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.3%
- Multiracial6.9%
Enrollment-weighted across 7 Panama City Beach schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (5,467 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Panama City Beach
How many public schools are in Panama City Beach, FL?
The current NCES directory lists 7 open public schools with a location address in Panama City Beach: 5 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 5,467 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Panama City Beach?
All listed public schools with an address in Panama City Beach belong to Bay. Mailing cities do not always match district boundaries, so confirm the district for a specific home address.
What is the largest public high school in Panama City Beach?
J.R. Arnold High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Panama City Beach, with 1,629 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Panama City Beach?
No school with an address in Panama City Beach is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Florida.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Panama City Beach schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Panama City Beach public schools is 16.4:1, similar to the Florida school median of 16.8:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Panama City Beach guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Florida cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Florida cities