A closer look at Jay Elementary School.
Jay Elementary serves pre-K through sixth grade at its Alabama Street campus in Jay. Published school updates document a sixth-grade band option, Junior Beta service activities and visiting arts experiences such as a Pensacola Opera performance.
The 2025–26 Florida DOE report classifies Jay Elementary School in the elementary category, as a district public school in Santa Rosa County. Its accountability grade is A; it earned 68% of possible accountability points. The published grade sequence is B in 2023–24, A in 2024–25, and A in 2025–26.
Sixth-grade band within Jay Elementary's extended grade span.
Our interpretation of published school information, not a campus inspection or an additional official rating.
Jay Elementary's published grade span extends through sixth grade, and its school updates document a sixth-grade band option. Our read is that this combination deserves attention from families comparing the timing of middle-school transitions. The important question is how the final elementary year introduces more advanced work and independence while retaining the school's elementary setting.
The documented Junior Beta service activity and visiting Pensacola Opera performance add examples of participation beyond everyday lessons. We would use these as conversation starters, not promises that every child will have the same experience each year. Ask what service and arts opportunities are planned now and how they differ by grade; that gives a clearer picture than extrapolating from a single past event.
Why it may fit
A relevant option when a family is interested in keeping sixth grade within an elementary configuration, especially when a child wants to begin band while preparing for the next stage of schooling.
What to weigh
The school's retrievable public information is more specific about individual events than the complete enrichment schedule. Confirm current offerings directly, and compare sixth-grade organization with an eligible middle-school option before deciding which format fits.
Jay Elementary is on Alabama Street. Jay High's published configuration starts with seventh grade, a useful local distinction from areas using separate grades-six-through-eight middle schools; confirm the student's actual assignment.
Ask how sixth-grade subjects are scheduled, when band can begin and how the school prepares students for seventh grade. Request current arts and service opportunities for the child's grade.
Based on Jay Elementary School school-published information ↗ · NCES school directory ↗. Confirm current programs and availability with the school.
What makes this school distinctive.
Sixth grade stays in elementary
The school's grade configuration includes sixth grade, and its updates reference sixth-grade band participation.
School source ↗Service and arts activities
School updates describe Junior Beta collecting pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House and a Pensacola Opera visit for younger students.
School source ↗How the official results compare.
Its 68% overall points result is 12 percentage points above the 56% median among 12 other elementary schools in Santa Rosa County with reported data.
What the results suggest.
Look beyond the latest letter
The sequence B → A → A is a reason to ask what changed between the three reporting years. A letter-grade change is not itself a measure of an individual child's learning growth. Ask the school to explain the underlying achievement and learning-gains results before attributing the change to a particular program.
A result worth noticing
Science is 72%, compared with a 53.5% median for 12 other local schools in the same state category. That 18.5-point difference is the largest positive peer gap among the subject measures available here. Ask which learning opportunities sit behind it and how a new student would access them.
The next question after the scores
None of the 3 subject measures with enough local comparison data falls below its own peer median. The next question is how the school supports both students who need more time and students ready for additional challenge. These school-level percentages do not measure class size, belonging or your child's likely outcome.
Calculated from the dated state results below. Peer gaps compare each subject with the same subject at other schools, not one subject with another. Measures can cover different student groups. They do not establish why a result occurred or the quality of a particular teacher.
| Measure | This school | Peer median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall accountability points | 68% | 56% (12 schools) | +12 pp |
| English language arts achievement | 66% | 61.5% (12 schools) | +4.5 pp |
| Mathematics achievement | 77% | 64.5% (12 schools) | +12.5 pp |
| Science achievement | 72% | 53.5% (12 schools) | +18.5 pp |
Swipe across the table to compare all columns.
Calculated from the linked Florida DOE release. The peer median is the middle school-level result, excludes this school, uses the same county and DOE school category, and ignores missing values. It is not weighted by enrollment. “pp” means percentage points. Graduation and acceleration measures use the cohorts specified by the state. Different measures describe different groups of students.
Use the results to identify questions, not to predict your child's experience. Programs, support, admissions and a campus visit can change which option fits your priorities. Read the state methodology ↗
Other schools to consider.
These are the nearest other report pages in the same county and Florida DOE school category, using recorded campus locations. Their placement is based on location and school format, not a recommendation or enrollment entitlement.
Chumuckla Elementary School ↗
Directory grades PK–06 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Compare Chumuckla Elementary School's course options, student support and daily schedule with this school. A different program or learning format may matter more to your child than the overall grade. Worth exploring when a family is specifically comparing the transition after fifth grade with a school that retains sixth grade. Ask how the child's academic readiness and preferred level of independence fit that arrangement.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Berryhill Elementary School ↗
Directory grades PK–05 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Compare Berryhill Elementary School's course options, student support and daily schedule with this school. A different program or learning format may matter more to your child than the overall grade. Worth investigating for an elementary student who likes creative work connected to other subjects. Ask for examples from the child's actual grade, since a fifth-grade project may not describe a kindergarten experience.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.S. S. Dixon Intermediate School ↗
Directory grades 03–05 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Compare S. S. Dixon Intermediate School's course options, student support and daily schedule with this school. A different program or learning format may matter more to your child than the overall grade. Potentially appealing for a family that values a school focused on upper-elementary grades. Ask how instruction, resource support and special-area classes are organized specifically for third, fourth and fifth graders.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Campus-to-campus distances are straight-line estimates, not driving routes or distances from your home. Use the address search on the school map for a comparison from your own location. An alternative may be a better fit when its verified program, support or learning format aligns with your child's needs; a higher score in one measure does not settle that decision.
Enrollment and a useful school visit.
Use the school's enrollment link and confirm your home address with Santa Rosa County's official school zone locator. Program places and transfer requests need school or district confirmation. Enrollment resource ↗
- How do sixth-grade band scheduling and transportation work?
- Which grades can participate in Junior Beta, and what selection criteria apply?
Sources for this guide
School-specific research checked 2026-09-06. Accountability data: 2025–26, retrieved 2026-08-24. Directory information is dated separately above.