Enrollment
1,629
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Panama City Beach, FL
J.R. Arnold High School
Federal NCES profile for J.R. Arnold High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120009004305
👥 S:T ratio 1
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J.R. Arnold High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Florida schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Panama City Beach · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.7:1
- large classes for Florida
- 32.7%
- free-lunch eligible
J.R. Arnold High School has class sizes larger than 92% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, J.R. Arnold High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Panama City Beach, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120009004305 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J.R. Arnold High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at J.R. Arnold High School
J.R. Arnold High School is a large high school in Panama City Beach, Florida, enrolling 1,629 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.7:1 is larger than about 92% of Florida schools and 39% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,629 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 340 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #326, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 815 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Bay also operates A. Crawford Mosley High School (1,864 students) and Deane Bozeman School (1,690 students) alongside J.R. Arnold High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How J.R. Arnold High School compares
J.R. Arnold High School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.7:1 | ▲ 39% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.7% | ▼ 37% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,629 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.7:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,629
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.7:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 92% in Florida - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
34.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,446
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 815 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
169
in-school suspensions + 121 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 64.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
African American 10.0%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, J.R. Arnold High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bay, which includes J.R. Arnold High School.
$10,446
Per student
-6%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.0%
State 33.0%
Federal 21.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How J.R. Arnold High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Crawford Mosley High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Deane Bozeman School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rutherford High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bay High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Breakfast Point Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J.R. Arnold High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,864
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,690
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,394
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 1,289
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 1,089
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,629 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J.R. Arnold High School's federal record.
- Compare J.R. Arnold High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bay's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about J.R. Arnold High School
How many students attend J.R. Arnold High School?
J.R. Arnold High School has 1,629 students enrolled. It is a high school in Panama City Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J.R. Arnold High School?
The student-teacher ratio at J.R. Arnold High School is 24.7:1, which is 39% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at J.R. Arnold High School?
32.7% of students at J.R. Arnold High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J.R. Arnold High School?
The largest demographic group at J.R. Arnold High School is White at 64.3% of enrollment, in Panama City Beach, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J.R. Arnold High School?
J.R. Arnold High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does J.R. Arnold High School rank among public schools in Panama City Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, J.R. Arnold High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Panama City Beach, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Panama City Beach on the city page.
Is J.R. Arnold High School a good school?
J.R. Arnold High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Florida schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Bay?
Besides J.R. Arnold High School, Bay also operates A. Crawford Mosley High School (1,864 students), Deane Bozeman School (1,690 students), and Rutherford High School (1,394 students). See the Bay district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.