When families are relocating to a new town, one of their first questions is usually about the school system. They want to know about the schools for their particular children's age groups. Since I have raised three children in Bay County, I have first-hand experiences to share with them. All 3 of my "kids" grew up here, graduated from Bay High School, and even attended the local Gulf Coast Community College.
At one time, I was a cheerleader "mom" and a band "mom" and a chorus "mom" all in the same year! Since my children were three years apart in age, I had at least one of them in the same high school for 10 consecutive years! Trust me, I know about Bay County Schools!
Bay County's schools include elementary schools (grades K-5), middle schools (grades 6-8), and high schools (grades 9-12). Haney Technical Center is a designated post-secondary technical training institution, and M.K. Lewis School serves as a special purpose school for students with special needs.
Currently there are 22 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 7 high schools, 1 alternative school, 2 adult education schools and 1 special purpose school. One of the best ways to present these schools to you is with the graphic below that was published in the local newspaper, The News Herald, reporting each school's standing in the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scoring.
On the college level, Bay County is fortunate to have an exceptional "community college" offering Associate Degrees in a wide variety of fields. Gulf Coast Community College also has an excellent athletic program, and an outstanding fine arts school, as well as a first-class Culinary School with it's own fine dining restaurant. Bay County is home for our newest State Representative, Jimmy Patronis, who is a native of Panama City Beach, Florida. He grew up here, lives on Panama City Beach, and is involved with schools and colleges in Bay County.
Gulf Coast College students are shown here with FL State Representative, Jimmy Patronis, at a Political Forum Hosted by the St Anderews Bay Leadership Committee.
Florida State University opened a "Panama City" campus that has grown tremendously over the past decade. The University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields ranging from business to law enforcement. The campus is located directly on St Andrews Bay at the foot of the Hathaway Bridge connecting Panama City to Panama City Beach. You couldn't ask for a more pleasant learning environment.
One of the unique opportunities available with the campus located on the Gulf of Mexico and several local bays, is the SHARC Dive Club (SCUBA, Hyperbaric, and Recreational Club)! It was organized after the campus began the Underwater Crime Scene Investigation (UCSI) program. A lot of students have shown quite a bit of interest in both scientific and recreational diving. The club offers SCUBA training and organizes diving recreational activities for its members, while emphasizing safety first. Membership in SHARC is open to divers and non-divers.
Tom P. Haney Technical Center/Technical High School opened at this site in 1968 and is governed by the Bay District School Board. There are approximately 20 full-time day and evening programs on the campus which is located at the intersection of Hwy 77 and Baldwin Road, just north of the Panama City Mall. Haney is a state designated post-secondary technical training school with a history of fine academic and technical training programs from Adult General Education (GED) to Industrial Education and licensing programs.
Since the Bay County School Board is the Number 1 employer in our area, it's economic impact is felt not only in the lives of families with school-age children, but by every resident and local business. Along with Tyndall Air Force Base, the educational system leads the workforce in Bay County. Shown below are our top 10 employers.
Company
Bay District School
Tyndall AFB
Naval Support Activity
Bay Medical Center
Wal-Mart
Sallie Mae
Gulf Coast Medical Center
Gulf Coast Community College
Nextel Partners
Smurfit-Stone Container | Employment
4,910
4,715
2,800
2,077
1,240
1,200
850
727
675
650 |
Bay County School Board
Nelson Administrative Building
1311 Balboa Avenue
Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 872- 4100
http://www.bay.k12.fl.us
;)
;)
