Bay County Schools: School Board, Calendar & Parent Help
People often search for the “Bay County Board of Education,” but the official Florida school system is Bay District Schools and its elected governing body is the Bay District School Board.
This guide connects that search intent to the current district office, 2026–27 school calendar, School Board, enrollment system, school options, transportation and parent tools serving Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lynn Haven and other Bay County communities.
Bay County Board of Education search: the official name is Bay District Schools
The public school district for Bay County, Florida is Bay District Schools. Its Central Office is at 1311 Balboa Avenue, Panama City, FL 32401, and the main number is 850-767-4100.
Mark McQueen is Superintendent. The elected Bay District School Board has five district seats and governs district policy, budgets and other matters assigned to the Board under Florida law.
1311 Balboa Avenue, Panama City, FL 32401.
Students returned Monday, August 10, 2026.
Bay District Schools uses Focus Parent Portal.
R. L. Young Transportation: 850-767-4488.
Terminology matters: this page uses “Bay County Board of Education” because people search that phrase, but links and official actions use the Florida names Bay District Schools and Bay District School Board.
Bay District Schools calendar 2026–27
The Board-approved 2026–27 Student Academic Calendar began with professional learning and pre-school planning in late July and early August. The first student day was Monday, August 10, 2026.
Bay County families should pay particular attention to dates labeled as storm days if needed. Northwest Florida weather can cause a planned teacher day or recess date to be repurposed under the published calendar.
| Date | Calendar item | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| July 29–30, 2026 | Professional Learning | Staff days before pre-school planning. |
| Aug. 3–4 | Professional Learning | No regular student classes. |
| Aug. 5–7 | Pre-School Planning | Teacher/staff preparation. |
| Aug. 10 | First Day of School | First student instructional day. |
| Sept. 7 | Labor Day | Holiday for all. |
| Sept. 30 | Teacher PLC Planning Day | School out for students; designated storm day if needed. |
| Oct. 8 | End of First Nine Weeks | Academic grading-period milestone. |
| Oct. 9–12 | Fall / October Break | No regular student classes; check storm-day status before making firm plans. |
| Oct. 28 | Teacher PLC Planning Day | School out for students; storm-day provision applies. |
| Nov. 11 | Veterans Day | Holiday for all. |
| Nov. 23–27 | Thanksgiving Holidays | Published Thanksgiving-week break. |
| Nov. 30 | Return from Thanksgiving | Students return. |
| Dec. 18 | End of Semester | Full day for students under the official calendar. |
| Dec. 21 | Christmas Holidays Begin | School out; listed as a storm day if needed. |
| Jan. 5, 2027 | Students Return | Return from Christmas holidays. |
| Jan. 18 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Holiday for all. |
| Feb. 15 | Presidents’ Day | School out for students and teachers. |
| Mar. 12 | End of Third Nine Weeks | Academic grading-period milestone. |
| Mar. 15 | Spring Holidays Begin | Spring recess begins. |
| Mar. 22 | Return from Spring Holidays | Students return to school. |
| Mar. 26 | Good Friday | School out for students and teachers. |
| May 26 | Last Day of School | End of fourth nine weeks and second semester; early release for all students. |
| May 27–28 | Teacher Post-Planning | Student year has ended. |
Storm-day rule: Bay District Schools labels several non-student days as potential storm days. Before booking travel around September 30, October recess or the winter break period, check the live district calendar after any tropical-weather closure.
Open Bay District Schools 2026–27 Student Academic Calendar →
Bay District School Board members
The School Board has five elected district seats. Current district and Florida public records identify the sitting members below as of October 2, 2026.
2026 election timing: District 3 is in an active 2026 election cycle. This page reports the current sitting Board and does not predict or imply the election result. Recheck the district roster after the new term begins.
Student-specific problem? Attendance, grades, discipline, disability services and teacher concerns generally should begin with the school or responsible district department rather than an individual elected Board member.
How to find the next Bay District School Board meeting
Bay District Schools uses BoardDocs for School Board agendas and meeting documents. This is the preferred route when you need the exact current meeting date, agenda, attachments or record of Board action.
The official indexed district pages available during this update did not expose a complete October–December 2026 meeting schedule. Because workshops, special sessions and public hearings can be added separately, this guide does not calculate or invent a “next meeting” date.
Open the official BoardDocs portal
Look for the most recent or upcoming Bay District School Board meeting rather than relying on an old search result.
Check the meeting type
Regular Board meetings, workshops, special meetings and public hearings can have different times and agendas.
Open supporting documents
Board packets and attachments can contain staffing, budget, school, facilities and policy details that do not appear in a short calendar listing.
Use minutes for final action
An agenda shows proposed business. Minutes and final Board records are the stronger source for determining what was actually approved.
Same-day check: if you are driving to a Board meeting, confirm the date, room and start time through the current BoardDocs record or district notice that day.
How to enroll a new student in Bay District Schools
Bay District Schools uses an online Focus application for new students. A family can begin the application, save it and return later if required documents are not immediately available.
Select the correct application
Students who have never attended a Bay District school should use the BDS Online Application. VPK and Haney Technical College have separate application types.
Create the application login
Enter the student’s name and birthdate, then use a contact email address and password for the application.
Upload the requested records
The online application allows families to stop and continue later if a document is not yet available.
Use the zoned-school and bus tools
Once enrollment details are known, use the district’s school-zone and transportation lookup route for the assigned school and eligible bus information.
Choose the application carefully. The Focus enrollment page specifically separates ordinary new-student enrollment, VPK and Haney Technical College applications.
Grades, attendance, forms and multiple students in one account
The Focus Student Information System is Bay District Schools’ primary family portal. It combines attendance, grade reporting, schedules, communication and other student information in one system.
Create an account
A valid email address is required. Current Focus also supports account creation through available Google or Apple sign-in options.
Connect a child
Have the student’s full name, student ID beginning with 03, and date of birth available.
Back-to-School forms
Currently enrolled families complete required Back-to-School documents through Parent Portal before accessing each student’s portal information.
Multiple children: Focus is designed so a parent or guardian can connect multiple enrolled students to one parent account rather than managing separate parent logins.
Bay District Schools includes many different school types
Bay County is not a small one-high-school district. Families may encounter traditional elementary, middle and high schools, multi-grade campuses, special-purpose schools, Bay Virtual School, charter options and Haney Technical College.
The school assigned to a resident student depends on address, grade and any approved school-choice arrangement. Use the official zoning and Focus tools rather than choosing a school solely from a search-engine list.
- Callaway Elementary
- Cedar Grove Elementary
- Deer Point Elementary
- Hiland Park Elementary
- Hutchison Beach Elementary
- Lucille Moore Elementary
- Lynn Haven Elementary
- Merriam Cherry Street Elementary
- Northside Elementary
- Parker Elementary
- Patronis Elementary
- Southport Elementary
- Tommy Smith Elementary
- Waller Elementary
- West Bay Elementary
- Jinks Middle School
- Merritt Brown Middle School
- Mowat Middle School
- Breakfast Point Academy
- Deane Bozeman School
- Tyndall Academy
- Rutherford Middle/High School
- Bay High School
- A. Crawford Mosley High School
- J.R. Arnold High School
- Rutherford
- Bay Virtual School
- Margaret K. Lewis School
- New Horizons Learning Center
- Haney Technical College
Charter schools: Bay County also has charter-school options. A charter school may be part of the broader public-school landscape while operating under a separate charter governing structure, so use that school’s own enrollment instructions where applicable.
Your zoned school and your preferred school may not be the same
Bay District Schools’ parent resources distinguish ordinary enrollment from controlled open enrollment and other school-choice options. Families should first determine the student’s zoned school, then review any available choice process if they want another eligible campus.
Zoned enrollment
The home address determines the normal assigned public school. Focus links families to school and bus-route lookup tools.
Controlled Open Enrollment
Choice availability is separate from normal zoning and can depend on district rules, application windows and capacity.
Do not assume transportation follows school choice. Transportation eligibility can differ when a family voluntarily selects a school other than the normal zoned campus.
Bay District Schools transportation and bus-route help
R. L. Young Transportation handles school-bus operations for the district. The current district staff directory lists the department at 850-767-4488.
Address changes matter. A student’s school assignment and transportation eligibility can depend on the current home address. Update district records rather than relying on an old route from a previous address or school year.
ESE, Pre-K and Child Find support
Bay District Schools operates Exceptional Student Education and Pre-K services separately from ordinary Board governance. The district staff directory lists the ESE & Pre-K Services department at 850-767-4119.
Existing ESE student
Begin with the student’s school or ESE team for IEP implementation, service and meeting questions.
Child Find / possible disability
Use Bay District Schools’ ESE and Child Find resources when there is concern that a child may need evaluation or specialized services.
Do not publish private student information. IEPs, diagnoses, evaluations, medical information and discipline records belong in private school/district channels rather than general public Board comment.
Start with posted Board documents before making a broad records request
Bay District School Board agendas and supporting materials are published through BoardDocs. Policies, budgets and other district documents are also available publicly through district resources.
Florida’s public-record framework applies to the school system, subject to exemptions such as protected student information. A precise request for an existing record is more useful than asking the district to create a new report that does not already exist.
Board action
Start with BoardDocs if the information concerns an agenda item, Board vote, contract, policy or meeting attachment.
Student records
FERPA-protected grades, health records, disability records, discipline and similar student information use a separate private education-record process.
Bay District Schools Central Office address and map
Central Office is not automatically the meeting room. Check the current BoardDocs agenda for the exact School Board meeting location before making a trip to 1311 Balboa Avenue.
Storm days are part of the Bay County school calendar
Bay District Schools explicitly identifies potential storm-day dates in the academic calendar. That is especially relevant in Bay County because tropical weather can disrupt schools and cause later calendar adjustments.
Before a storm
Check the district’s live announcements rather than relying on the annual PDF alone.
After a closure
Review whether a PLC day, Fall Break day or holiday-adjacent storm day has been converted into an instructional day.
Keep Focus updated
Current phone numbers, email addresses and emergency contacts help schools communicate schedule and safety information.
Bay County school questions that often go to the wrong place
Official Bay District Schools links worth saving
Bay County Board of Education FAQs
Is it called the Bay County Board of Education?
The common search phrase is “Bay County Board of Education,” but the official Florida school system is Bay District Schools and the elected governing body is the Bay District School Board.
Where is Bay District Schools located?
The Central Office is at 1311 Balboa Avenue, Panama City, FL 32401.
What is the Bay District Schools phone number?
The district’s main phone number is 850-767-4100.
Who is the Superintendent of Bay District Schools?
Mark McQueen is the current Superintendent of Bay District Schools.
Who are the current Bay County School Board members?
As of October 2, 2026, current district and Florida public records identify Jerry Register in District 1, Ann Leonard in District 2, Christopher Moore in District 3, Earl Winston “Winston” Chester in District 4 and Steve Moss in District 5.
When is the next Bay District School Board meeting?
The official indexed pages reviewed for this update did not expose a complete October–December 2026 meeting schedule. Use the current Bay District School Board BoardDocs portal for the next meeting date, time, location and agenda.
When did Bay District Schools start in 2026–27?
The official Student Academic Calendar lists Monday, August 10, 2026 as the first day of school.
When is Bay District Schools Fall Break?
The October 2026 calendar includes student days off around October 9–12. Because storm-day provisions apply to portions of the calendar, families should confirm the live calendar before making fixed travel plans.
When is Thanksgiving Break in Bay County schools?
The 2026–27 calendar begins the Thanksgiving holiday period on November 23, with students returning November 30.
When is Spring Break for Bay District Schools?
The official calendar lists Spring Holidays beginning March 15, 2027, with students returning March 22.
When is the last day of school in 2027?
The official calendar lists May 26, 2027 as the final student day and the end of the fourth nine weeks and second semester.
How do I enroll a new student in Bay District Schools?
Use the district’s Focus Apply for Enrollment page and choose the BDS Online Application for a new student who has never attended a Bay District school.
How do I create a Focus Parent Portal account?
Use the Bay District Schools Focus Parent Portal. A valid email address is required, and current registration also supports available Google or Apple account options.
What do I need to link my child to Focus?
The district says you need the student’s full name, student ID number beginning with 03, and date of birth.
Who do I call about a school bus?
R. L. Young Transportation is listed at 850-767-4488. The district’s Focus resources also link to the zoned-school and bus-route lookup.
Where can I find Bay District School Board agendas?
Current Bay District School Board agendas and meeting documents are available through the district’s BoardDocs portal.
Is BoardofEducations.org the official Bay County school website?
No. BoardofEducations.org is an independent information guide. The official Bay District Schools website is bay.k12.fl.us.
Use Bay District Schools’ live sources for time-sensitive information
BoardofEducations.org is an independent information guide. It is not Bay District Schools, the Bay District School Board or another Bay County government office.
For a Board meeting, tropical-weather closure, bus assignment, new-student enrollment or school-choice decision, open the relevant official district source before acting. Bay County’s academic calendar specifically includes storm-day provisions, so an old calendar screenshot may not reflect a later emergency change.