Summary:
Zip code 32409, covering parts of Panama City and Southport, Florida, is home to two schools within the Bay County School District, a 3-star district ranked 28th out of 70 in the state.
The standout school in this area is Deane Bozeman School, a large PK-12 "alternative" school that functions as a comprehensive, high-performing institution. It consistently outperforms both district and state averages across nearly every subject and grade level, with an exceptional 98.2% graduation rate compared to the state's 92.2%. In contrast, Southport Elementary School is a traditional PK-5 school that has seen its state ranking decline from the 70th to the 48th percentile over three years. Despite spending more per student ($10,199 vs. $9,050) and having smaller class sizes (17.1:1 vs. 20.1:1), Southport's academic performance lags behind Deane Bozeman, suggesting Deane Bozeman achieves greater efficiency and effectiveness with its resources.
A key shared challenge is chronic absenteeism, which exceeds 30% at both schools—31.0% at Deane Bozeman and 35.5% at Southport. Southport also serves a more economically disadvantaged population, with 47.83% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to 37.22% at Deane Bozeman. For parents, Deane Bozeman offers a strong, cohesive educational pipeline from kindergarten through 12th grade, while Southport provides a more traditional elementary experience but faces headwinds that warrant attention from the district to reverse its declining trajectory.
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