Merritt Brown Middle School

Summary:

Merritt Brown Middle School is a public middle school in Panama City, Florida, serving 701 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Bay District, which is ranked 28 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Merritt Brown Middle School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (76.32%) compared to nearby schools, it faces several challenges. The school has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 35.0% to 39.7% in recent years, which is notably higher than surrounding schools. Additionally, Merritt Brown's test scores are generally lower than the district and state averages across various subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math around 40%, while the district and state averages are higher. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 53.95% to 54.64% in recent years, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

Merritt Brown Middle School's performance has declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 496 out of 997 Florida middle schools in 2015-2016 to 897 out of 1196 in 2023-2024, consistently earning a 1-2 star rating from SchoolDigger. In comparison, nearby schools like Surfside Middle School and Bay Haven Charter Academy Middle School have significantly higher test scores and statewide rankings, suggesting that factors beyond just the school district may be contributing to the differences in academic achievement. Addressing the underlying issues, such as high chronic absenteeism and the needs of economically disadvantaged students, could be crucial in improving Merritt Brown Middle School's overall outcomes.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 5044 Merritt Brown Way
       Panama City, FL  32404


(850) 767-3976

District: Bay

SchoolDigger Rank:
897th of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,779 Help


Feeder schools for Merritt Brown Middle School:

Elementary:    Cedar Grove Elementary School
    Deer Point Elementary School
    Waller Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.5 Help
Number of students:  701

Racial breakdown:

White:
76.3%
Hispanic:
8.6%
Two or more races:
7.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  54.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Merritt Brown Middle School ranks worse than 75% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 4th among 5 ranked middle schools in the Bay School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.65. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (76.3%), Hispanic (8.6%), two or more races (7.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 54.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Merritt Brown Middle School is 17.5, which is the 2nd best among 5 middle schools in the Bay School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Merritt Brown Middle School employs 40 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merritt Brown Middle School is $9,779, which is the 2nd highest among 5 middle schools in the Bay School District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Merritt Brown Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Merritt Brown Middle School 897th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Merritt Brown Middle School in the ranking list.)

Bay:

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


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Rank History for Merritt Brown Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 57.72 267th 593 55.0%
2005 64.20 222nd 602 63.1%
2006 64.85 230th 675 65.9%
2007 64.03 270th 736 63.3%
2008 66.45 261st 740 64.7%
2009 67.99 265th 780 66.0%
2010 66.00 298th 839 64.5%
2011 60.53 369th 891 58.6%
2012 49.55 472nd 897 47.4%
2013 50.04 491st 956 48.6%
2014 49.83 502nd 999 49.7%
2016 50.21 496th 997 50.3%
2017 40.74 608th 1031 41.0%
2018 42.14 603rd 1035 41.7%
2019 35.92 727th 1099 33.8%
2021 32.96 764th 1136 32.7%
2022 27.60 850th 1148 26.0%
2023 32.37 812th 1177 31.0%
2024 27.65 897th 1196 25.0%
See the entire list of Florida Middle School Rankings!

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

Merritt Brown Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    






Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Merritt Brown Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 800 25 12 4 7 n/a n/a 0 848
1990 813 56 9 3 3 n/a n/a 0 884
1991 764 48 6 3 2 n/a n/a 0 823
1992 828 47 5 3 3 n/a n/a 0 886
1993 918 49 7 5 1 n/a n/a 0 980
1994 925 37 7 5 4 n/a n/a 0 978
1995 1095 43 6 4 4 n/a n/a 0 1152
1996 1095 43 6 4 4 n/a n/a 0 1152
1997 1165 40 7 6 5 n/a n/a 0 1223
1998 941 26 3 6 3 n/a n/a 0 979
1999 998 26 8 9 1 n/a n/a 0 1042
2000 996 19 6 12 2 n/a n/a 0 1035
2001 959 19 4 13 3 n/a n/a 0 998
2002 946 14 3 7 1 n/a n/a 0 971
2003 946 14 3 7 1 n/a n/a 0 971
2004 912 13 10 11 3 n/a n/a 0 949
2005 828 18 6 14 4 n/a n/a 0 870
2006 834 26 8 14 5 n/a n/a 0 887
2007 769 26 8 20 2 n/a n/a 4 829
2008 776 22 6 22 4 n/a n/a 11 841
2009 752 21 8 22 6 n/a n/a 15 824
2010 752 27 10 22 5 n/a n/a 22 838
2011 669 35 5 34 3 0 20 0 766
2012 670 30 11 23 2 0 27 0 763
2013 704 33 9 30 1 0 30 0 807
2014 672 38 11 29 2 0 41 0 793
2015 608 47 6 30 1 0 35 0 727
2016 589 53 8 30 1 0 50 0 731
2017 586 47 12 20 1 3 47 0 716
2018 628 47 17 27 3 2 37 0 761
2019 618 46 17 42 4 1 34 0 762
2020 533 26 5 34 4 3 31 0 636
2021 509 26 4 46 4 2 30 0 621
2022 527 50 3 56 4 1 36 0 677
2023 535 49 3 60 2 0 52 0 701

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 Merritt Brown Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 848 39.0 21.7 31.6
1990 884 46.0 19.2 41.5
1991 823 44.0 18.7 42.9
1992 886 45.0 19.6 31.9
1993 980 50.0 19.6 37
1994 978 54.0 18.1 36.4
1995 1152 58.0 19.9 35.9
1996 1152 58.0 19.9 35.9
1997 1223 61.0 20.0 36.7
1998 979 48.0 20.4 32.9
1999 1042 51.0 20.4 46.6
2000 1035 52.0 19.9 47.8
2001 998 49.0 20.4 46
2002 971 50.0 19.4 45.7
2003 971 50.0 19.4 45.7
2004 949 48.0 19.8 49.5
2005 870 52.0 16.7 51.6
2006 887 50.0 17.7 45.9
2007 829 54.0 15.4 48
2008 841 54.0 15.6 44.9
2009 824 62.5 15.0 48.1
2010 838 55.5 15.1 55.3
2011 766 46.4 16.4 58
2012 763 46.7 16.3 55.6
2013 807 53.0 15.2 61.3
2014 793 52.0 15.2 65.4
2015 727 49.0 14.8 64.9
2016 731 44.0 16.6 64.3
2017 716 44.0 16.2 54.2
2018 761 45.0 16.9 62
2019 762 45.8 16.6 64
2020 636 39.8 15.9 55.3
2021 621 40.6 15.2 53.9
2022 677 37.0 18.2 54.7
2023 701 40.0 17.5 54.6

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 Merritt Brown Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 848 39.0 21.7 31.6
1990 884 46.0 19.2 41.5
1991 823 44.0 18.7 42.9
1992 886 45.0 19.6 31.9
1993 980 50.0 19.6 37
1994 978 54.0 18.1 36.4
1995 1152 58.0 19.9 35.9
1996 1152 58.0 19.9 35.9
1997 1223 61.0 20.0 36.7
1998 979 48.0 20.4 32.9
1999 1042 51.0 20.4 46.6
2000 1035 52.0 19.9 47.8
2001 998 49.0 20.4 46
2002 971 50.0 19.4 45.7
2003 971 50.0 19.4 45.7
2004 949 48.0 19.8 49.5
2005 870 52.0 16.7 51.6
2006 887 50.0 17.7 45.9
2007 829 54.0 15.4 48
2008 841 54.0 15.6 44.9
2009 824 62.5 15.0 48.1
2010 838 55.5 15.1 55.3
2011 766 46.4 16.4 58
2012 763 46.7 16.3 55.6
2013 807 53.0 15.2 61.3
2014 793 52.0 15.2 65.4
2015 727 49.0 14.8 64.9
2016 731 44.0 16.6 64.3
2017 716 44.0 16.2 54.2
2018 761 45.0 16.9 62
2019 762 45.8 16.6 64
2020 636 39.8 15.9 55.3
2021 621 40.6 15.2 53.9
2022 677 37.0 18.2 54.7
2023 701 40.0 17.5 54.6

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 Merritt Brown Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $448 (6.1%) $6,922 (93.9%) $7,370
2019 $458 (4.3%) $10,279 (95.7%) $10,738
2020 $839 (8.2%) $9,376 (91.8%) $10,216
2021 $1,625 (14.9%) $9,285 (85.1%) $10,910
2022 $1,529 (16.5%) $7,716 (83.5%) $9,245
2023 $1,754 (17.9%) $8,025 (82.1%) $9,779

Data source: Florida Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Merritt Brown Middle 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 727th of 1099 Middle schoolsRanks 812th of 1177 Middle schools
 2.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Merritt Brown Middle School)4630
 16%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Bay)5652
 4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5452
 2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Merritt Brown Middle School)3829
 9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Bay)5348
 5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)5549
 6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Merritt Brown Middle School)4437
 7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Bay)5449
 5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5248
 4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Merritt Brown Middle School)3635
 1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Bay)5952
 7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)5446
 8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Merritt Brown Middle School)4635
 11%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Bay)5949
 10%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5649
 7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Merritt Brown Middle School)4639
 7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Bay)4840
 8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)4642
 4%
8th Grade Science (Merritt Brown Middle School)3941
 2%
   8th Grade Science (Bay)5151
   8th Grade Science (Florida)4844
 4%
End of Course Civics (Merritt Brown Middle School)7257
 15%
   End of Course Civics (Bay)7471
 3%
   End of Course Civics (Florida)7166
 5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Merritt Brown Middle School)8997
 8%
   End of Course Algebra 1 (Bay)6557
 8%
   End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)6254
 8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students762701
 8%
African American4649
 6.5%
American Indian42
 50%
Asian173
 82.4%
Hispanic4260
 42.9%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White618535
 13.4%
Two or More Races3452
 52.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients64%54.6%
 9.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Merritt Brown Middle School

Merritt Brown Middle School ranks 897th of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students at Merritt Brown Middle School are 76% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 7% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 701 students attended Merritt Brown Middle School.


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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.





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