Summary:
Zip code 32413, covering Panama City Beach, Florida, is home to two schools within the Bay County School District: Surfside Middle School, an alternative school serving grades PK-12, and West Bay Elementary School, a traditional elementary school serving grades PK-5.
The standout school is Surfside Middle School, which presents a paradox: despite its "alternative" classification, it achieves exceptional math and science scores, with a 96% proficiency rate in Geometry and 90% in Algebra 1, far exceeding district and state averages. However, its English Language Arts (ELA) performance is more mixed, and it struggles with a high chronic absenteeism rate of 35.8%. In contrast, West Bay Elementary School shows a positive upward trend in its state ranking, now at the 51st percentile, and demonstrates strength in math, particularly in 4th and 5th grades. Yet, West Bay consistently underperforms in ELA across all tested grades and has an even higher chronic absenteeism rate of 39.1%, the highest in the zip code. Notably, West Bay spends $1,105 more per student than Surfside, yet its overall academic performance is lower, suggesting that instructional model and school culture may be more critical than spending alone.
A key takeaway is the systemic issue of chronic absenteeism, which affects both schools above the state average of 31.4%, indicating a community-wide challenge. Additionally, there is a clear subject divide: both schools excel in math but struggle with ELA, pointing to a need for targeted literacy support. Year-over-year volatility in test scores, such as West Bay's 5th-grade math dropping from 74% to 38%, highlights the impact of changing student cohorts. For parents, this area offers a choice between a high-performing alternative school with a specialized math focus and a traditional elementary school that is improving but faces attendance and literacy hurdles.
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