The 15 public schools on the Panama City list: addresses, grades, enrollment, 2026 Florida grades and zones. Bay District Schools: 850-767-4100.
Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Sources: Bay District Schools, its charter schools page, school choice page, transportation page and 2026-27 start and end times; Bay County’s school zone map and address records; the U.S. Census Bureau’s geocoder; the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades; the federal NCES school directory and Private School Universe Survey.
Every traditional public school in Panama City is run by Bay District Schools, the countywide district based at the Nelson Administrative Building, 1311 Balboa Ave., not by the city. Zones do not follow city limits: some Panama City homes are zoned for schools in Lynn Haven, Springfield or unincorporated Bay County, and many schools with a Panama City mailing address sit outside the city.
Find your schools
- Look up an address: the district’s School Zone and Bus Route search or Bay County’s school zone map
- Zoning and school choice: School Choice and Zoning, 850-767-4328; school choice coordinator, 850-767-4539
- Buses: Transportation, 850-767-4495
- District main office: 850-767-4100
How Panama City is zoned
We checked all 16,380 residential address points inside the city limits in Bay County’s address records against the county’s high, middle and elementary school zone maps:
- High school: about 82% are zoned for Bay High, 11% for Rutherford High (inside Springfield) and 6% for Mosley High in Lynn Haven. None is zoned for J.R. Arnold High in Panama City Beach.
- Middle school: about 76% Jinks Middle, 14% Merritt Brown Middle, 8% Mowat Middle in Lynn Haven and 2% the middle grades at Rutherford.
- Elementary: about 81% are zoned for the four district elementary schools inside the city. The rest are zoned for Tommy Smith (14%), Hiland Park (4%) and Cedar Grove (1%), which have Panama City mailing addresses but sit outside the city limits.
The tables below list every district school inside the city limits that takes students by zone, the two high schools outside the city whose zones cover city addresses, and the public charter schools inside the city. Enrollment is the federal count for 2024-25. The grade is Florida’s 2026 school grade with the share of possible points, from the state’s grades file, linked to each school’s state report card.
High schools
| School | Address | Grades | Students, 2024-25 | 2026 grade | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Crawford Mosley High | 501 Mosley Drive, Lynn Haven | 9-12 | 1,864 | A (66%) | 6% of city |
| Bay High | 1200 Harrison Ave. | 9-12 | 1,289 | C (56%) | 82% of city |
| Rutherford High | 1000 School Ave. (in Springfield) | 6-12 | 1,394 | C (52%) | 11% of city |
Middle school
| School | Address | Grades | Students, 2024-25 | 2026 grade | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jinks Middle | 600 W. 11th St. | 6-8 | 541 | C (47%) | 76% of city |
Merritt Brown Middle has a Panama City mailing address but sits outside the city limits; Mowat Middle is in Lynn Haven. Together they are zoned for about 22% of city addresses.
Elementary schools
| School | Address | Grades | Students, 2024-25 | 2026 grade | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucille Moore Elementary | 1900 Michigan Ave. | Pre-K to 5 | 543 | D (39%) | 18% of city |
| Merriam Cherry Street Elementary | 1125 Cherry St. | Pre-K to 5 | 343 | C (41%) | 19% of city |
| Northside Elementary | 2001 Northside Drive | Pre-K to 5 | 569 | B (58%) | 29% of city |
| Oscar Patterson Academy | 1025 Redwood Ave. | Pre-K to 5 | 394 | D (36%) | 15% of city |
Charter schools
Public charter schools are sponsored by Bay District Schools but run by their own boards. None takes students by zone; families apply to the school, and most fill oversubscribed grades by lottery, as each school’s page explains. The district lists 10 charter schools; these seven are inside the city limits.
| School | Address | Grades | Students, 2024-25 | 2026 grade | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMIkids Maritime Academy | 200 E. Beach Drive | 9-12 | 26 | A (69%) | Apply; lottery if full |
| Central High School | 1250 W. 17th St. | Ages 16-21 | 99 | Not graded (alternative) | Open enrollment |
| Chautauqua Learn & Serve Charter School | 1118 Magnolia Ave. | 9-12 | 52 | Not graded (ESE center) | Call the school |
| Palm Bay Elementary | 1104 Balboa Ave. | K-5 | 321 | C (53%) | Apply; lottery if full |
| Palm Bay Preparatory Academy | 1104 Balboa Ave. | 6-12 | 203 | A (71%) | Apply; lottery if full |
| Rising Leaders Academy | 1527 Lincoln Ave. | K and up | 311 | A (74%) | Apply; lottery |
| University Academy | 1980 Discovery Loop | K-8 | 711 | A (86%) | Lottery |
Bay Haven Charter Academy and North Bay Haven Charter Academy have Panama City mailing addresses but sit inside the City of Lynn Haven, according to the Census Bureau’s geocoder.
Enrollment by school
Federal counts for the 2024-25 school year, from the NCES Common Core of Data. Together the 15 schools had 8,660 students.
Other district programs in the city
The district also runs schools inside the city that families do not choose through the zones: Rosenwald High School (grades 6 to 12, a special purpose school on Bay Avenue), St. Andrew Academy and Margaret K. Lewis School (special purpose schools), Bay Virtual School and the education program at the Bay Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Call Student Services at 850-767-4328 about placement.
Private schools
The NCES Private School Universe Survey for 2023-24 lists 11 private schools with a Panama City mailing address. These 10 are inside the city limits, matched with the Census Bureau’s geocoder; Gateway Christian Academy, on East Fifth Street, is in Springfield. Grades and enrollment are as the survey reports them:
- Adventist Christian Academy, 2700 Lisenby Ave., kindergarten to grade 8, 37 students (website; federal listing)
- Bacot Academy, 700 W. 23rd St., Suite 52, kindergarten to grade 12, 35 students (website; federal listing)
- Covenant Christian School, 2350 Frankford Ave., kindergarten to grade 11, 75 students (federal listing)
- Gulf Coast School for Autism, 2404 Ruth Hentz Ave., ungraded, 25 students (federal listing)
- Holy Nativity Episcopal School, 205 Hamilton Ave., pre-K to grade 8, 283 students (federal listing)
- Kaleidoscope School of Discovery, 2420 Jenks Ave., kindergarten to grade 12, 159 students (federal listing)
- Panama City Advanced School, 3332 Token Road, pre-K to grade 12, 164 students (federal listing)
- Panama City Trilingual School, 420 N. Bonita Ave., pre-K to grade 9, 166 students (website; federal listing)
- Square Pegs Learning Center, 757 Jenks Ave., pre-K to grade 12, 45 students (federal listing)
- St. John Catholic Academy, 1005 Fortune Ave., pre-K to grade 8, 203 students (federal listing)
More
- Our Panama City schools guide has the full 2026-27 calendar, registration steps, kindergarten age rules and School Board meetings.
- Which schools each part of the city is zoned for: Panama City neighborhoods.
- Friday night games: the scoreboard.
Frequently asked questions
Which school district serves Panama City, Florida?
Bay District Schools runs every traditional public school in Panama City; the city does not run schools. The district’s main office is at 1311 Balboa Ave., 850-767-4100.
How do I find which schools my Panama City address is zoned for?
Use the district’s School Zone and Bus Route search or Bay County’s school zone map. The School Choice and Zoning office answers questions at 850-767-4328.
Which high schools serve Panama City?
On Bay County’s zone maps, about 82% of the residential addresses inside the city limits are zoned for Bay High, 11% for Rutherford High and 6% for Mosley High in Lynn Haven.
How many public schools are on the Panama City list?
Fifteen: eight district schools (three high schools, one middle school and four elementary schools) and seven public charter schools inside the city limits.
Have your say