Enrollment
362
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Panama City Beach, FL
West Bay Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for West Bay Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120009008453
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Bay Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Panama City Beach · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 47.9%
- free-lunch eligible
West Bay Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Bay Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Panama City Beach, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120009008453 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Bay Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Bay Elementary School
West Bay Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Panama City Beach, Florida, enrolling 362 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.9% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 362 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 334 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #256, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.5% 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.
Bay also operates A. Crawford Mosley High School (1,864 students) and Deane Bozeman School (1,690 students) alongside West Bay Elementary 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 West Bay Elementary School compares
West Bay Elementary 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.9% | ▼ 8% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 362 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
362
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 64% in Florida - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.5%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 65.7%
Hispanic or Latino 22.7%
Two or More 5.8%
African American 3.3%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.2, West Bay Elementary School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bay, which includes West Bay Elementary 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 West Bay Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Crawford Mosley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Deane Bozeman School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J.R. Arnold High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rutherford High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bay High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Bay Elementary 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
- 1,629
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- 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
Similar elementary 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 (~362 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Bay Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare West Bay Elementary 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 West Bay Elementary School
How many students attend West Bay Elementary School?
West Bay Elementary School has 362 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Panama City Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Bay Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Bay Elementary School is 18.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Bay Elementary School?
47.9% of students at West Bay Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Bay Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Bay Elementary School is White at 65.7% 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 51.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Bay Elementary School?
West Bay Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does West Bay Elementary School rank among public schools in Panama City Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, West Bay Elementary School ranks #4 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 West Bay Elementary School a good school?
West Bay Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 West Bay Elementary School, Bay also operates A. Crawford Mosley High School (1,864 students), Deane Bozeman School (1,690 students), and J.R. Arnold High School (1,629 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.