Palm Bay Elementary School, 1104 Balboa Ave.: a public charter school for K-5, 321 students (2024-25), a C in Florida's 2026 grades. 850-215-0770.
Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, Bay District Schools and its charter schools page and 2026-27 start and end times, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades and the federal NCES school directory.
Palm Bay Elementary School is a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten through fifth grade on Balboa Avenue, inside the Panama City limits. Palm Bay Education Group, a nonprofit with one shared school board, runs it along with Palm Bay Preparatory Academy on the same campus and Central High School. Bay District Schools sponsors the school.
Who to call
- Front office: 850-215-0770, 1104 Balboa Ave., Panama City, FL 32401
- School website: palmbayschools.org/elementary
- Enrollment: the school’s registration page, or call the office
- Charter schools at the district: Bay District Schools main office, 850-767-4100
| Address | 1104 Balboa Ave., Panama City, FL 32401 |
| Phone | 850-215-0770 |
| Grades | Kindergarten to 5 |
| Principal | Patty Phillips |
| Type | Public charter school |
| 2026 state grade | C (53% of points) |
Principal. Patty Phillips is the principal of Palm Bay Elementary and Palm Bay Preparatory Academy, according to the school’s about page. Heather Clark is assistant principal.
How admission works
“Enrollment is open to all Florida students,” the school’s registration page says. If a grade level reaches capacity, children go on a waitlist, and a random lottery is held when waitlist demand exceeds openings. Families start with an online form and finish enrollment in person. Military families can enroll before records arrive from the previous school.
Enrollment and teachers
- Federal count: 321 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 19 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 17 students per teacher.
State report card
Florida gave Palm Bay Elementary a C in its 2026 school grades, with 53% of the points possible, after a B in both 2024 and 2025, according to the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file. The school’s state report card has results by student group; it is an interactive dashboard that could not be read for this page.
| 2026 school grade measure | Result |
|---|---|
| School grade | C (53% of points) |
| Third grade English language arts achievement | 51% |
| English language arts achievement | 61% |
| English language arts learning gains | 58% |
| Math achievement | 60% |
| Math learning gains | 56% |
| Science achievement | 40% |
Florida grades schools A to F on the share of possible points earned across these measures. Achievement is the share of tested students on grade level; learning gains is the share who improved from the year before. For an elementary school, A is 62% of points or more, B is 54% to 61% and C is 41% to 53%, the state’s file says.
Attendance zone
None. Charter schools do not take students by address. To see which district elementary school serves a home, use the district’s School Zone and Bus Route search or Bay County’s school zone map.
Calendar and bell times
Gates open at 7:30 a.m., breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8 a.m., and classes run 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., the school’s frequently asked questions page says. The district’s 2026-27 start and end times list the same hours. After-school care (LEAP) runs 3:15 to 6 p.m. The school posts its own elementary calendar.
Programs
The school names Spanish, art, music and PE as enrichment, an inclusion model for exceptional student education with a full-time ESE inclusion teacher, and a full-time speech and language pathologist. Uniforms are required every school day.
More on Panama City schools
- The district’s charter schools page, with every Bay County charter school
- Every public school in Panama City, with zones and report cards
- Our Panama City schools guide for the district calendar, registration and School Board meetings
Frequently asked questions
How do I enroll at Palm Bay Elementary?
Enrollment is open to all Florida students. Start with the school’s online form and finish at the office. If a grade is full, children go on a waitlist, and a random lottery is held when demand exceeds openings.
What is Palm Bay Elementary’s school grade?
Palm Bay Elementary earned a C in Florida’s 2026 school grades, with 53% of possible points, after B grades in 2024 and 2025.
What time does Palm Bay Elementary start?
Gates open at 7:30 a.m. and breakfast is served until 8 a.m. Classes run 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and after-school care runs until 6 p.m., the school says.
What grades does Palm Bay Elementary serve?
Kindergarten through fifth grade. Palm Bay Preparatory Academy, on the same Balboa Avenue campus, serves grades 6 through 12.
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