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Tommy Smith Elementary School

Q: Is Tommy Smith Elementary School a good school?

Tommy Smith Elementary School ranks 1606 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1606^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Tommy Smith Elementary School is a public school in Panama City, FL, serving 677 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Bay district, where about 45% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has experienced a significant decline in recent years, dropping from a 3-star rating and 60th percentile statewide ranking in 2019 to a 1-star rating and 28th percentile in 2025-2026, marking three consecutive years of low performance.

The most critical issue at Tommy Smith is a severe chronic absenteeism crisis. In the 2023-2024 school year, nearly 47% of students were chronically absent—far higher than the district average of 35% and the state average of 31%. This rate is dramatically worse than nearby high-performing schools like North Bay Haven Charter Academy Elementary School (17% absenteeism) and University Academy Sabl Inc (7% absenteeism), both located just a few miles away. The absenteeism problem has been climbing steadily since 2020, directly mirroring the school's academic decline. Academic performance is particularly weak in math, with 4th-grade proficiency at just 37%—28 points below the state average and the lowest among comparable nearby schools except for Oscar Patterson Academy and Cedar Grove Elementary School.

Despite these challenges, there is a glimmer of hope in 5th grade, where ELA (61%) and Science (55%) proficiency are near state averages, suggesting pockets of effective instruction. The school's per-student spending of $10,453 is in line with other local schools like Southport Elementary School ($10,199) and Deer Point Elementary School ($10,859), indicating that funding is not the root cause. The stark contrast with North Bay Haven Charter Academy Elementary School—just 1.96 miles away, with an 88th percentile ranking and 17% absenteeism—shows that high performance is achievable in the same neighborhood. For Tommy Smith to recover, a focused effort to improve attendance will be essential.

677

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,453

Per pupil spending ?

45.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5044 Tommy Smith Dr
Panama City, FL 32404

(850) 767-1688

District: Bay

Students who attend Tommy Smith Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Rutherford High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.2%

Hispanic:

10.8%

Two or more races:

9.5%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Tommy Smith Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 51st percentile in 2016 → 28th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (51% vs 62% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 31% Florida)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg61%

Florida avg62%

1,606^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From top 49% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

19^th of 24Elementary Schools in the Bay

28^th of 70Bay among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	32.4	1606 of 2240	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.1	1780 of 2258	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.1	1620 of 2256	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.4	1405 of 2240	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.5	1255 of 2219	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.9	1133 of 2247	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.3	876 of 2182	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.3	651 of 2118	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.7	751 of 2112	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	51.6	1015 of 2087	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	46.4	1102 of 2064	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.4	1111 of 2029	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.6	940 of 1984	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	71.0	570 of 1985	71.3%	★★★★☆
2010	70.9	545 of 1919	71.6%	★★★★☆
2009	76.7	388 of 1847	79.0%	★★★★☆
2008	73.6	443 of 1789	75.2%	★★★★☆
2007	75.4	412 of 1786	76.9%	★★★★☆
2006	62.9	646 of 1688	61.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Science55%-5 vs state

English Language Arts53%-7 vs state

Math48%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Tommy Smith Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Tommy Smith Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5044 Tommy Smith Dr	Panama City	32404	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-1688	677	41	16.5	45.3%	475 (70.2%)	53 (7.8%)	73 (10.8%)	12 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (9.5%)	32.4	1606^th of 2240 public elementary schools	28.3%		25.1	1780^th of 2258 public elementary schools	21.2%	174	48.0	53.0	61.0	58.0	37.0	51.0	55.0	$10,453	$1,204	$9,249
North Bay Haven Charter Academy Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-5	1 Buccaneer Dr	Panama City	32404	Bay County	Bay	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 248-0205	696	39	18.0	29.9%	507 (72.8%)	29 (4.2%)	74 (10.6%)	11 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	73 (10.5%)	84.8	267^th of 2240 public elementary schools	88.1%		83.7	319^th of 2258 public elementary schools	85.9%	52	84.0	79.0	73.0	94.0	92.0	83.0	60.0	$9,222	$00	$9,222
Deer Point Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4800 Highway 2321	Panama City	32404	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	No	(850) 767-5462	735	46	15.9	43.8%	513 (69.8%)	70 (9.5%)	89 (12.1%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	52 (7.1%)	52.2	1089^th of 2240 public elementary schools	51.4%		37.9	1421^st of 2258 public elementary schools	37.1%	332	56.0	54.0	66.0	61.0	64.0	62.0	68.0	$10,859	$1,558	$9,301
Bay Haven Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	2501 Hawks Landing Blvd	Panama City	32405	Bay County	Bay	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 248-3500	766	46	16.6	40.2%	485 (63.3%)	84 (11.0%)	105 (13.7%)	28 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	60 (7.8%)	69.3	648^th of 2240 public elementary schools	71.1%		67	716^th of 2258 public elementary schools	68.3%	68	73.0	60.0	65.0	87.0	68.0	71.0	65.0	$9,065	$3,683	$5,382
Hiland Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2507 E Baldwin Rd	Panama City	32405	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-4685	684	40	17.1	52.2%	340 (49.7%)	117 (17.1%)	145 (21.2%)	8 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	70 (10.2%)	37.3	1469^th of 2240 public elementary schools	34.4%		21.5	1858^th of 2258 public elementary schools	17.7%	389	41.0	64.0	63.0	50.0	56.0	50.0	54.0	$11,663	$1,679	$9,984
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	688	45	15.2	39.1%	529 (76.9%)	54 (7.8%)	50 (7.3%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.1%)	69.9	635^th of 2240 public elementary schools	71.7%		56	973^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	56.9%	338	80.0	66.0	63.0	74.0	66.0	71.0	70.0	$11,355	$1,533	$9,823
Southport Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1835 Bridge St	Southport	32409	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-1636	531	31	17.1	47.8%	470 (88.5%)	2 (0.4%)	31 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	23 (4.3%)	49	1166^th of 2240 public elementary schools	47.9%		54.9	990^th of 2258 public elementary schools	56.2%	176	51.0	56.0	73.0	67.0	57.0	63.0	53.0	$10,199	$1,286	$8,914
Cedar Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2826 E 15th St	Panama City	32405	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-4550	495	34	14.5	74.7%	156 (31.5%)	163 (32.9%)	90 (18.2%)	6 (1.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (15.4%)	23.4	1836^th of 2240 public elementary schools	18.0%		10.7	2134^th of 2258 public elementary schools	5.5%	298	56.0	42.0	50.0	51.0	32.0	45.0	48.0	$16,425	$2,509	$13,916
Callaway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7115 E Highway 22	Panama City	32404	Bay County	Bay	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 767-1241	622	31	20.0	67.2%	274 (44.1%)	140 (22.5%)	115 (18.5%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (14.1%)	33.2	1579^th of 2240 public elementary schools	29.5%		43	1275^th of 2258 public elementary schools	43.5%	304	46.0	46.0	52.0	45.0	53.0	68.0	60.0	$11,187	$1,280	$9,908
Oscar Patterson Academy	Public	PK, KG-4	1025 Redwood Ave	Panama City	32401	Bay County	Bay	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(850) 767-1610	394	26	15.1	71.1%	93 (23.6%)	181 (45.9%)	85 (21.6%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	27 (6.9%)	5.9	2193^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	2.1%		6.2	2205^th of 2258 public elementary schools	2.3%	12	35.0	28.0	37.0	33.0	22.0	40.0	33.0	$13,754	$1,935	$11,819

Frequently Asked Questions about Tommy Smith Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Tommy Smith Elementary School?

Students at Tommy Smith Elementary School are 70% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 8% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Tommy Smith Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 677 students attended Tommy Smith Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Tommy Smith Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Tommy Smith Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Rutherford High School

What district is Tommy Smith Elementary School in?

Bay

Is Tommy Smith Elementary School a good school?

Tommy Smith Elementary School ranks 1606^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Tommy Smith Elementary 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.