Rutherford High School

Summary:

Rutherford High School is a public high school located in Panama City, Florida, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 1,337 students. While the school has a diverse student population, it has faced challenges in recent years, including declining academic performance, higher chronic absenteeism, and lower graduation rates compared to nearby schools.

Rutherford High School's student body is more racially diverse than many of the surrounding schools, with a makeup of 38.67% White, 31.94% African American, 17.35% Hispanic, and 8.15% two or more races. However, the school's academic performance has been a concern, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math significantly below the state and Bay District averages. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated, ranging from a low of 76.7% in 2018-2019 to a high of 88.4% in 2019-2020, which is generally lower than the state and district averages.

Interestingly, the nearby charter schools, such as North Bay Haven Career Academy and Palm Bay Preparatory Academy 6-12, tend to outperform Rutherford High School in terms of test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. These charter schools have higher proficiency rates, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism compared to Rutherford High School, which may be attributed to factors such as socioeconomic status and per-student spending levels.

Detail:

Public 6-12

1000 School Ave
Panama City, FL 32401

(850) 767-4500

District: Bay

SchoolDigger Rank:
616^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,601

Feeder schools for Rutherford High School:

Elementary:	Callaway Elementary School
	Parker Elementary School
	Tommy Smith Elementary School
	Tyndall Academy

Student/teacher ratio: 18.7

Number of students: 1,423

Racial breakdown:

White:

35.8%

African American:

33.5%

Hispanic:

19.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.3%

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Compare Rutherford High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rutherford High School ranks worse than 85.3% of middle schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.59. (See more...)

Compare Details Rutherford High School ranks worse than 76.3% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 7^th among 10 ranked high schools in the Bay School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.92. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Rutherford High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Rutherford High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (35.8%), African American (33.5%), Hispanic (19.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rutherford High School is 18.7, which is the 4^th best among 10 high schools in the Bay School District. (See more...)

Compare Rutherford High School employs 75.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rutherford High School is $10,601, which is the 5^th highest among 10 high schools in the Bay School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Rutherford High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Rutherford High School 1020^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Rutherford High School in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Rutherford High School 616^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Rutherford High School in the ranking list.)

Bay:

SchoolDigger ranks Bay 28^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rutherford High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2021	15.43	995^th	1136	12.4%
2022	11.63	1053^rd	1148	8.3%
2023	13.64	1053^rd	1177	10.5%
2024	18.59	1020^th	1196	14.7%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Rutherford High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	73.19	118^th	484	75.6%
2005	73.59	118^th	487	75.8%
2006	66.04	152^nd	477	68.1%
2007	70.00	155^th	563	72.5%
2008	70.03	149^th	577	74.2%
2009	66.01	189^th	587	67.8%
2010	63.67	229^th	620	63.1%
2011	61.21	256^th	622	58.8%
2012	45.71	283^rd	606	53.3%
2013	35.79	411^th	648	36.6%
2014	50.05	325^th	687	52.7%
2016	40.42	370^th	693	46.6%
2017	35.83	417^th	714	41.6%
2018	27.33	500^th	716	30.2%
2019	29.49	494^th	734	32.7%
2021	25.15	514^th	746	31.1%
2022	20.06	590^th	774	23.8%
2023	23.18	575^th	792	27.4%
2024	22.92	616^th	807	23.7%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Rutherford High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1408	383	70	30	3	n/a	n/a	0	1894
1989	1313	404	78	31	4	n/a	n/a	0	1830
1990	1128	392	76	29	3	n/a	n/a	0	1628
1991	1131	403	81	26	5	n/a	n/a	0	1646
1992	1180	415	110	24	3	n/a	n/a	0	1732
1993	1194	458	110	32	2	n/a	n/a	0	1796
1994	1330	453	117	39	2	n/a	n/a	0	1941
1995	1382	475	122	43	6	n/a	n/a	0	2028
1996	1382	475	122	43	6	n/a	n/a	0	2028
1997	1396	475	124	51	8	n/a	n/a	0	2054
1998	1458	493	120	49	10	n/a	n/a	0	2130
1999	1475	486	110	44	10	n/a	n/a	0	2125
2000	1439	487	113	35	11	n/a	n/a	0	2085
2001	1368	421	112	33	7	n/a	n/a	0	1941
2002	1274	426	114	40	9	n/a	n/a	0	1863
2003	1274	426	114	40	9	n/a	n/a	0	1863
2004	1172	429	117	48	8	n/a	n/a	0	1774
2005	1142	455	133	50	4	n/a	n/a	0	1784
2006	1087	502	114	50	2	n/a	n/a	0	1755
2007	977	446	104	45	2	n/a	n/a	95	1669
2008	933	433	85	47	5	n/a	n/a	80	1583
2009	865	351	78	49	6	n/a	n/a	69	1418
2010	832	337	75	65	11	n/a	n/a	59	1379
2011	752	346	78	63	12	0	62	0	1313
2012	745	334	84	54	11	0	73	0	1301
2013	757	340	82	54	13	0	87	0	1333
2014	675	342	65	54	8	1	74	0	1219
2015	631	341	63	64	7	2	80	0	1188
2016	546	324	63	54	2	5	71	0	1065
2017	557	331	53	69	4	5	71	0	1090
2018	507	301	48	71	6	5	76	0	1014
2019	456	345	42	76	4	5	76	0	1004
2020	625	455	46	152	4	6	103	0	1391
2021	586	480	46	160	4	7	96	0	1379
2022	571	472	41	202	6	11	90	0	1393
2023	517	427	38	232	3	11	109	0	1337
2024	510	476	34	274	2	6	121	0	1423

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Rutherford High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1894	105.0	18.0	17.6
1989	1830	100.0	18.3	18.3
1990	1628	99.0	16.4	24
1991	1646	100.0	16.4	22.9
1992	1732	108.0	16.0	20.9
1993	1796	106.0	16.9	21.7
1994	1941	116.0	16.7	24.4
1995	2028	115.0	17.6	21.9
1996	2028	115.0	17.6	21.9
1997	2054	114.0	18.0	22.8
1998	2130	110.0	19.4	23.5
1999	2125	112.0	19.0	27.6
2000	2085	116.0	18.0	26.4
2001	1941	110.0	17.6	26.8
2002	1863	99.0	18.8	29.1
2003	1863	99.0	18.8	29.1
2004	1774	96.0	18.5	30.3
2005	1784	100.0	17.8	33.8
2006	1755	102.0	17.2	34
2007	1669	102.0	16.4	35.1
2008	1583	93.5	16.9	36.3
2009	1418	100.0	16.1	38.2
2010	1379	81.0	17.0	44.3
2011	1313	76.2	17.2	48.4
2012	1301	69.0	18.8	50.3
2013	1333	69.0	19.3	56.6
2014	1219	63.0	19.3	56.9
2015	1188	62.0	19.1	63.1
2016	1065	53.0	20.0	58.4
2017	1090	54.0	20.1	51.9
2018	1014	51.0	19.8	58.2
2019	1004	42.9	23.4	63.5
2020	1391	75.5	18.4	60.7
2021	1379	79.5	17.3	63.9
2022	1393	70.5	19.7	62.4
2023	1337	65.5	20.3	63.2
2024	1423	75.9	18.7	61.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Rutherford High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1894	105.0	18.0	17.6
1989	1830	100.0	18.3	18.3
1990	1628	99.0	16.4	24
1991	1646	100.0	16.4	22.9
1992	1732	108.0	16.0	20.9
1993	1796	106.0	16.9	21.7
1994	1941	116.0	16.7	24.4
1995	2028	115.0	17.6	21.9
1996	2028	115.0	17.6	21.9
1997	2054	114.0	18.0	22.8
1998	2130	110.0	19.4	23.5
1999	2125	112.0	19.0	27.6
2000	2085	116.0	18.0	26.4
2001	1941	110.0	17.6	26.8
2002	1863	99.0	18.8	29.1
2003	1863	99.0	18.8	29.1
2004	1774	96.0	18.5	30.3
2005	1784	100.0	17.8	33.8
2006	1755	102.0	17.2	34
2007	1669	102.0	16.4	35.1
2008	1583	93.5	16.9	36.3
2009	1418	100.0	16.1	38.2
2010	1379	81.0	17.0	44.3
2011	1313	76.2	17.2	48.4
2012	1301	69.0	18.8	50.3
2013	1333	69.0	19.3	56.6
2014	1219	63.0	19.3	56.9
2015	1188	62.0	19.1	63.1
2016	1065	53.0	20.0	58.4
2017	1090	54.0	20.1	51.9
2018	1014	51.0	19.8	58.2
2019	1004	42.9	23.4	63.5
2020	1391	75.5	18.4	60.7
2021	1379	79.5	17.3	63.9
2022	1393	70.5	19.7	62.4
2023	1337	65.5	20.3	63.2
2024	1423	75.9	18.7	61.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Rutherford High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$321 (4.5%)	$6,879 (95.5%)	$7,200
2019	$460 (4.4%)	$10,097 (95.6%)	$10,557
2020	$643 (7.2%)	$8,275 (92.8%)	$8,918
2021	$1,351 (13.3%)	$8,801 (86.7%)	$10,152
2022	$1,439 (14.6%)	$8,450 (85.5%)	$9,888
2023	$2,083 (19.6%)	$8,518 (80.4%)	$10,601

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rutherford High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 494^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 575^th of 792 High schools	5.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Rutherford High School)	41	32	9%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Bay)	58	49	9%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Rutherford High School)	32	29	3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Bay)	53	46	7%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Rutherford High School)	59	44	15%
End of Course Biology 1 (Bay)	71	62	9%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Rutherford High School)	66	49	17%
End of Course US History (Bay)	74	63	11%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Rutherford High School)	38	23	15%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Bay)	65	57	8%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Rutherford High School)	31	18	13%
End of Course Geometry (Bay)	62	53	9%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1004	1337	33.2%
African American	345	427	23.8%
American Indian	4	3	25%
Asian	42	38	9.5%
Hispanic	76	232	205.3%
Pacific Islander	5	11	120%
White	456	517	13.4%
Two or More Races	76	109	43.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	63.5%	63.2%	0.3%

Schools Near Rutherford High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)					FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rutherford High School	Public	6-12	1000 School Ave	Panama City	32401	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-4500	1,423	76	18.7	61.3%	510 (35.8%)	476 (33.5%)	274 (19.3%)	34 (2.4%)	2 (0.1%)	6 (0.4%)	121 (8.5%)	22.9	616^th of 807 public high schools	23.7%		23.2	575^th of 792 public high schools	27.4%	41	27.0	32.0	31.0	29.0	34.0	20.0	30.0	40.0	26.0	27.0	37.0	49.0	58.0	46.0	$10,601	$2,083	$8,518
Rosenwald High School	Public	6-12	924 Bay Ave	Panama City	32401	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-4580	324	25	12.7	69.4%	184 (56.8%)	83 (25.6%)	34 (10.5%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.9%)	3.2	755^th of 807 public high schools	6.4%		2.5	774^th of 792 public high schools	2.3%	19		18.0	5.0	6.0	13.0	9.0	0.0	0.0	0.0		4.0	12.0	12.0	11.0	$18,650	$4,722	$13,927
Chautauqua Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	1118 Magnolia Ave	Panama City	32401	Bay County	Bay	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 785-5056	47	5	9.4	34.0%	33 (70.2%)	4 (8.5%)	8 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.3%)								(n/a)
Bay High School	Public	9-12	1200 Harrison Ave	Panama City	32401	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-4600	1,298	59	22.1	51.6%	587 (45.2%)	347 (26.7%)	228 (17.6%)	24 (1.8%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	106 (8.2%)	46	352^nd of 807 public high schools	56.4%		41.9	372^nd of 792 public high schools	53.0%	20				62.0	64.0					25.0	33.0	64.0	59.0		$9,061	$1,519	$7,542
Amikids Maritime Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	200 E. Beach Drive	Panama City	32401	Bay County	Bay	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(850) 919-2213	88	3	29.3	21.6%	75 (85.2%)	1 (1.1%)	6 (6.8%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.5%)	67.3	154^th of 807 public high schools	80.9%					(n/a)				66.0	76.0					45.0	64.0	93.0			$6,579	$00	$6,579
New Horizons Learning Center	Public	6-12	3200 Minnesota Ave	Panama City	32405	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-1110	91	17	5.3	78.0%	52 (57.1%)	25 (27.5%)	6 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (8.8%)	3.3	751^st of 807 public high schools	6.9%					(n/a)		15.0	20.0	15.0	5.0		25.0	6.0	7.0	15.0		9.0	13.0	20.0	$34,990	$8,203	$26,787
A. Crawford Mosley High School	Public	9-12	501 Mosley Dr	Lynn Haven	32444	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	No	(850) 767-4400	1,838	79	23.4	34.5%	1,320 (71.8%)	159 (8.7%)	194 (10.6%)	35 (1.9%)	5 (0.3%)	7 (0.4%)	118 (6.4%)	55.7	245^th of 807 public high schools	69.6%		52.5	261^st of 792 public high schools	67.0%	16				56.0	58.0					39.0	49.0	76.0	75.0		$7,063	$622	$6,442
Palm Bay Preparatory Academy 6-12	Public, Charter	6-12	1104 Balboa Ave	Panama City	32401	Bay County	Bay	Yes	No	No	Yes	(850) 215-0770	201	9	22.3	51.7%	88 (43.8%)	33 (16.4%)	63 (31.3%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.0%)	44.7	369^th of 807 public high schools	54.3%		55.1	240^th of 792 public high schools	69.7%	129	53.0	65.0	68.0	38.0	35.0	43.0	67.0	88.0	59.0	90.0	77.0	65.0	38.0	69.0	$17,807	$1,324	$16,483
Central High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1250 W. 17th St	Panama City	32405	Bay County	Bay	Yes	No	No	Yes	(850) 215-0770	106	1	106.0	54.7%	64 (60.4%)	15 (14.2%)	17 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.5%)	8	684^th of 807 public high schools	15.2%		5.8	697^th of 792 public high schools	12.0%	13				25.0	13.0					22.0	20.0	24.0	28.0		$12,994	$2,033	$10,961
North Bay Haven Career Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	1 Buccaneer Dr	Panama City	32404	Bay County	Bay	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 248-0801	882	36	24.5	22.1%	629 (71.3%)	57 (6.5%)	97 (11.0%)	43 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	51 (5.8%)	83.6	53^rd of 807 public high schools	93.4%		85	47^th of 792 public high schools	94.1%	6				70.0	70.0					97.0	90.0	91.0	91.0		$7,085	$755	$6,331

Frequently Asked Questions about Rutherford High School

Is Rutherford High School a good school?

Rutherford High School ranks in the bottom 23.7% of Florida high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Rutherford High School?

Students at Rutherford High School are 36% White, 33% African American, 19% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Rutherford High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,423 students attended Rutherford High School.

What schools feed into Rutherford High School?

Rutherford High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Callaway Elementary School
Elementary : Parker Elementary School
Elementary : Tommy Smith Elementary School
Elementary : Tyndall Academy

What district is Rutherford High School in?

Bay

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.