Enrollment
343
Elementary
DISTRICT 572 · STATE 604
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BAY·NCES 120009000043
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY
1125 CHERRY ST, PANAMA CITY, FL 32401 · (850) 767-1480 · Bay County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL343 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 26% of Florida public elementary schools
- CTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Florida public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
12.7:1
27 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 17.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
64%
220 students
DISTRICT 46% · STATE 50%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 23 | 7% |
| Kindergarten | 53 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 44 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 58 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 51 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 45 | 13% |
| Grade 5 | 69 | 20% |
This year's kindergarten class (53) is 23% smaller than its 5th grade class (69).
Student demographics
68%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 59% · STATE 70% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
FAST / B.E.S.T. 2024-25 . % at Level 3 or AboveEnglish Language Arts
47.8%
FL avg 56.7% . +2.8pp since 2023
Math
49.2%
FL avg 58.9% . +8.6pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 48 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 49 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Florida schools, those numbers are about 57 and 59. Reading and writing scores are up about 3 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 9 points.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 47.8% | 49.2% |
| 2023-24 | 45.0% | 40.6% |
% at Level 3 or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: FAST / B.E.S.T.. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
45.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
49.0%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-3.6pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 45% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for Florida schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Florida's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY's state test result (45.4% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY this school | 343 | 64.1% | 45.4% |
| ALACHUA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALACHUA | 323 | 60.4% | 38.7% |
| W. W. IRBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALACHUA | 372 | 58.9% | N/A |
| WOODVILLE SCHOOL TALLAHASSEE | 462 | 64.7% | 41.7% |
| MIMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MIMS | 393 | 68.2% | 43.9% |
| REDDICK-COLLIER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REDDICK | 343 | 66.8% | 42.4% |
Matched among Florida elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Florida | In Bay County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 45.4% | #1,559 of 2,136 | #18 of 23 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 49.2% | #1,599 of 2,149 ▲ 202 | #17 of 23 ▲ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 47.8% | #1,413 of 2,149 ▼ 16 | #16 of 23 ▲ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 343 | #1,903 of 2,267 | #22 of 24 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.7:1 | #102 of 2,077 | #2 of 23 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.9% | #361 of 2,108 | #7 of 23 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 64.1% | #730 of 2,188 | #7 of 23 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +3.0% | #506 of 621 | #9 of 10 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
343
-101 (-23%) vs 2020
-30% since 1990-91, when it was 492
Student : Teacher
12.7:1
was 17.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 343 | 27 | 12.7:1 | 64% (220) |
| 2023-24 | 381 | 24.5 | 15.6:1 | 75% (286) |
| 2022-23 | 362 | 24 | 15.1:1 | 72% (262) |
| 2020-21 | 444 | 25 | 17.8:1 | 71% (317) |
| 2017-18 | 333 | 24 | 13.9:1 | 75% (249) |
| 2015-16 | 404 | 26 | 15.5:1 | 81% (329) |
| 2010-11 | 425 | 28 | 15.2:1 | 73% (311) |
| 2000-01 | 376 | 24 | 15.7:1 | 59% (220) |
| 1990-91 | 492 | 28 | 17.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY.
About MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY is a small elementary school serving families in PANAMA CITY, Florida. The school's enrollment of 343 students covers pre-K through 5. Enrollment is 43% lower than the average for elementary schools in Florida, which is about 604.
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY is among 47 schools run by BAY, which serves 27,494 students.
By race and ethnicity, the largest group at MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY is White (40%). Other groups make up 37% Black, 13% Hispanic, and 9% multiracial. Bay County as a whole is about 75% White, so the school's share is lower. MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY has a diversity index of 68%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY employs 27 full-time-equivalent teachers. That gives a ratio of about 12.7:1. That ratio is under the 17.5:1 average for elementary schools in Florida. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was 64% in 2024-25. Public schools in Bay County average 43%.
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY is graded C by allk12, scoring above 26% of Florida public elementary schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY's average proficiency rate on state tests of 45.4% is 3.6 points below the 49.0% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.
Bay County has about 186,393 residents, and median household income is about $73,533, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 8% of people live in poverty. The public schools of Bay County number 50 and enroll about 27,672.
Nearby, AMIKIDS MARITIME ACADEMY is about 1.0 miles away. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. On average proficiency, MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY is 3rd of 6 nearby schools with test data.
The school is inside a principal city with a population under 100,000, according to its NCES locale (City: Small).
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the student count declined from 444 to 343. In 2020-21, the student-to-teacher ratio was 17.8:1; by 2024-25 it was 12.7:1.
Topics for discussion here include school safety, transportation, and start times. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Bay County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
186,393
Census ACS
Median income
$73,533
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
30%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
50
27,672 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in BAY
- A. CRAWFORD MOSLEY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,864 students
- DEANE BOZEMAN SCHOOLCombined · 1,690 students
- J.R. ARNOLD HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,629 students
- RUTHERFORD HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,394 students
- BAY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,289 students
- BREAKFAST POINT ACADEMYElementary · 1,089 students
Other schools in PANAMA CITY
- DEANE BOZEMAN SCHOOLCombined · 1,690 students
- RUTHERFORD HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,394 students
- BAY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,289 students
- NORTH BAY HAVEN CAREER ACADEMYHigh · 865 students
- BAY HAVEN CHARTER ACADEMYElementary · 766 students
- DEER POINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 735 students
Nearby schools
- AMIKIDS MARITIME ACADEMY1.0 mi · 26
- MARGARET K. LEWIS IN MILLVILLE1.2 mi · 170
- ROSENWALD HIGH SCHOOL1.4 mi · 351
- OSCAR PATTERSON ACADEMY1.4 mi · 394
- CHAUTAUQUA CHARTER SCHOOL1.7 mi · 52
- BAY HIGH SCHOOL1.8 mi · 1,289
Frequently asked questions
About MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARYHow large is MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY?
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY enrolls approximately 343 students in grades PK-05.
Is MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY an elementary, middle, or high school?
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many students per teacher at MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY?
Approximately 12.7:1 students per teacher at MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY.
How diverse is MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY?
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY reports a student body of 40% White, 13% Hispanic, 37% Black, 1% Asian, 9% Two or more.
Is MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY public or private?
MERRIAM CHERRY STREET ELEMENTARY is a public K-12 school, overseen by BAY.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.