West Bay Elementary School

Q: Is West Bay Elementary School a good school?

West Bay Elementary School ranks 1315 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

West Bay Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Panama City Beach, Florida, serving grades K-5 with a student population of 313. The school is part of the Bay District, which is ranked 28 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While West Bay Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (74.76%) compared to the surrounding schools, it has experienced a steady increase in chronic absenteeism, reaching 42.5% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is notably higher than the surrounding schools. Additionally, the school's test scores in English Language Arts and Math are generally lower than the district and state averages, particularly in 5th grade, where proficiency rates are below 50%. West Bay Elementary also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (49.52%), indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students compared to some nearby schools, such as Southport Elementary and Breakfast Point Academy, which have stronger academic results and higher rankings.

Despite the higher per-student spending at West Bay Elementary, reaching $11,804 in the 2022-2023 school year, the school's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past few years, from 760 out of 2,182 Florida elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 1,315 out of 2,256 in 2023-2024, with a corresponding drop in its SchoolDigger rating from 3 stars to 2 stars. These findings suggest that there may be opportunities to implement targeted interventions and strategies to address the identified areas of concern, such as high chronic absenteeism and lower academic performance, and improve the educational experience for the students at West Bay Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-5

14813 School Dr
Panama City Beach, FL 32413

(850) 767-1850

District: Bay

SchoolDigger Rank:
1315^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,804

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 313

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.8%

Hispanic:

14.7%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details West Bay Elementary School ranks worse than 58.3% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 15^th among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Bay School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 40.89. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Racial makeup is: White (74.8%), Hispanic (14.7%), two or more races (5.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Bay Elementary School is 15.6, which is the 6^th best among 23 elementary schools in the Bay School District. (See more...)

Compare West Bay Elementary School employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Bay Elementary School is $11,804, which is the 8^th highest among 23 elementary schools in the Bay School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

West Bay Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Bay:

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

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Rank History for West Bay Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2018	63.52	746^th	2118	64.8%
2019	63.75	760^th	2182	65.2%
2021	59.21	881^st	2247	60.8%
2022	46.67	1145^th	2219	48.4%
2023	48.91	1126^th	2240	49.7%
2024	40.89	1315^th	2256	41.7%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary 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 West Bay Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2016	281	11	2	25	0	0	6	325
2017	258	7	3	27	0	0	10	305
2018	253	4	4	30	0	0	13	304
2019	260	3	4	33	0	1	14	315
2020	294	6	6	29	2	1	18	356
2021	245	2	5	34	1	0	22	309
2022	230	4	8	46	1	1	18	308
2023	234	7	8	46	1	0	17	313

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 West Bay Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	325	22.0	14.7	99.1
2017	305	24.0	12.7	52.5
2018	304	22.0	13.8	62.8
2019	315	22.0	14.3	63.2
2020	356	22.0	16.1	50
2021	309	22.0	14.0	50.8
2022	308	17.0	18.1	49.7
2023	313	20.0	15.6	49.5

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 West Bay Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	325	22.0	14.7	99.1
2017	305	24.0	12.7	52.5
2018	304	22.0	13.8	62.8
2019	315	22.0	14.3	63.2
2020	356	22.0	16.1	50
2021	309	22.0	14.0	50.8
2022	308	17.0	18.1	49.7
2023	313	20.0	15.6	49.5

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 West Bay Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$807 (9.0%)	$8,150 (91.0%)	$8,957
2019	$588 (5.6%)	$9,996 (94.4%)	$10,585
2020	$704 (7.4%)	$8,755 (92.6%)	$9,458
2021	$1,304 (11.7%)	$9,864 (88.3%)	$11,168
2022	$1,936 (18.0%)	$8,840 (82.0%)	$10,776
2023	$2,479 (21.0%)	$9,325 (79.0%)	$11,804

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Bay Elementary 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 760^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1126^th of 2240 Elementary schools	15.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Bay Elementary School)	73	57	16%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bay)	61	51	10%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Bay Elementary School)	48	45	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bay)	62	55	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Bay Elementary School)	66	57	9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bay)	58	52	6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Bay Elementary School)	81	60	21%
4th Grade Mathematics (Bay)	59	54	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Bay Elementary School)	58	46	12%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bay)	56	55	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Bay Elementary School)	67	53	14%
5th Grade Mathematics (Bay)	54	49	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (West Bay Elementary School)	54	53	1%
5th Grade Science (Bay)	54	49	5%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	315	313	0.6%
African American	3	7	133.3%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	4	8	100%
Hispanic	33	46	39.4%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	260	234	10%
Two or More Races	14	17	21.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	63.2%	49.5%	13.7%

Schools Near West Bay Elementary 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 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 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
West Bay Elementary School	Public	K-5	14813 School Dr	Panama City Beach	32413	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-1850	313	20	15.6	49.5%	234 (74.8%)	7 (2.2%)	46 (14.7%)	8 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.4%)	40.9	1315^th of 2256 public elementary schools	41.7%		48.9	1126^th of 2240 public elementary schools	49.7%	189	50.0	46.0	47.0				45.0	63.0	41.0				53.0					$11,804	$2,479	$9,325
Hutchison Beach Elementary School	Public	K-5	12900 Middle Beach Rd	Panama City Beach	32407	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	No	(850) 767-5195	621	39	15.9	58.8%	352 (56.7%)	92 (14.8%)	133 (21.4%)	9 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.5%)	55.1	968^th of 2256 public elementary schools	57.1%		34.8	1475^th of 2240 public elementary schools	34.2%	507	61.0	59.0	54.0				55.0	58.0	58.0				48.0					$10,430	$1,979	$8,452
Breakfast Point Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	601 N Richard Jackson Blvd	Panama City Beach	32407	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	No	(850) 767-1190	1,058	71	14.9	47.2%	717 (67.8%)	78 (7.4%)	142 (13.4%)	35 (3.3%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (7.6%)	66	719^th of 2256 public elementary schools	68.1%		71.5	597^th of 2240 public elementary schools	73.3%	122	60.0	55.0	60.0	66.0	53.0	64.0	60.0	65.0	57.0	71.0	52.0	71.0	66.0	69.0	97.0	96.0	64.0	$10,631	$1,534	$9,097
A. Gary Walsingham Academy	Public	PK, KG-4	44 Chip Seal Parkway	Panama City Beach	32407	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	No	(850) 767-5475	343	21	16.3	35.9%	204 (59.5%)	40 (11.7%)	53 (15.5%)	8 (2.3%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	33 (9.6%)	55.2	965^th of 2256 public elementary schools	57.2%					(n/a)	49.0	63.0					53.0	72.0										$16,359	$2,620	$13,739
Patronis Elementary School	Public	K-5	7400 Patronis Dr	Panama City Beach	32408	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	No	(850) 767-5075	648	42	15.4	41.8%	465 (71.8%)	48 (7.4%)	66 (10.2%)	11 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	56 (8.6%)	78.5	449^th of 2256 public elementary schools	80.1%		70.7	614^th of 2240 public elementary schools	72.6%	165	78.0	71.0	60.0				79.0	70.0	54.0				70.0					$10,353	$1,557	$8,797
Lucille Moore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 Michigan Ave	Panama City	32405	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-1428	503	35	14.3	71.0%	127 (25.2%)	129 (25.6%)	193 (38.4%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (9.7%)	41.7	1299^th of 2256 public elementary schools	42.4%		31.7	1562^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	30.3%	263	43.0	36.0	53.0				57.0	52.0	50.0				67.0					$13,372	$3,111	$10,260
University Academy Sabl Inc	Public, Charter	K-8	1980 Discovery Loop	Panama City	32405	Bay County	Bay	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 481-4410	688	39	17.6	16.0%	544 (79.1%)	42 (6.1%)	47 (6.8%)	22 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	30 (4.4%)	95.4	41^st of 2256 public elementary schools	98.2%		93.2	91^st of 2240 public elementary schools	95.9%	50	86.0	85.0	86.0	87.0	85.0	76.0	88.0	100.0	99.0	85.0	99.0		80.0	80.0	91.0		98.0	$9,533	$1,258	$8,276
Lynn Haven Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 W 9th St	Lynn Haven	32444	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	No	(850) 767-1454	699	38	18.3	46.4%	510 (73.0%)	74 (10.6%)	51 (7.3%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (7.9%)	56.4	936^th of 2256 public elementary schools	58.5%		47.7	1144^th of 2240 public elementary schools	48.9%	208	57.0	58.0	43.0				66.0	60.0	52.0				60.0					$9,978	$1,656	$8,323
St. Andrew School At Oakland Terrace	Public	PK, KG-5	2010 W 12th St	Panama City	32401	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-4595	94	20	4.8	77.7%	54 (57.4%)	22 (23.4%)	5 (5.3%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	10 (10.6%)	0.5	2254^th of 2256 public elementary schools	0.1%		3.7	2215^th of 2240 public elementary schools	1.1%	39	11.0	7.0	6.0				6.0	0.0	0.0				6.0					$47,939	$10,072	$37,867
Southport Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1835 Bridge St	Southport	32409	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-1636	506	27	18.7	51.6%	451 (89.1%)	5 (1.0%)	23 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.5%)	67.6	688^th of 2256 public elementary schools	69.5%		71	608^th of 2240 public elementary schools	72.9%	80	67.0	54.0	52.0				73.0	62.0	67.0				63.0					$10,171	$1,884	$8,288

Frequently Asked Questions about West Bay Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of West Bay Elementary School?

Students at West Bay Elementary School are 75% White, 15% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

How many students attend West Bay Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 313 students attended West Bay Elementary School.

Is West Bay Elementary School a good school?

West Bay Elementary School ranks 1315^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is West Bay Elementary 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.