A closer look at Washington Senior High School.
Booker T. Washington High's Marine Science Academy describes laboratory, research and field-study learning. Its published projects examine local waterways and nearshore species, connecting classroom science with the Pensacola area.
The 2025–26 Florida DOE report classifies Washington Senior High School in the high category, as a district public school in Escambia County. Its accountability grade is C; it earned 57% of possible accountability points. The published grade sequence is C in 2023–24, B in 2024–25, and C in 2025–26.
Marine science turns local waterways into research questions
Our interpretation of published school information, not a campus inspection or an additional official rating.
Booker T. Washington High's Marine Science Academy provides unusually concrete examples of learning tied to Pensacola's surroundings. Its published work includes water-quality and species information from places such as Bayview Park, Project Greenshores, Sanders Beach and Morgan Park. A GIS dashboard presents measurements including dissolved oxygen and nutrients. For a student interested in the coast, the academic attraction is learning to collect evidence, interpret patterns and explain what the data can and cannot show.
The academy describes laboratory and field learning and connections with university and environmental-science partners. Some showcased projects are historical, so those examples should open a conversation about the current program rather than become a promise of this year's field trips. Families should examine how practical investigations connect with the student's science and mathematics preparation. A student who likes being outdoors may discover that the reports, analysis and patient observation are equally important parts of the work.
Why it may fit
Especially worth exploring for students curious about ecology, local waterways and scientific evidence who also enjoy the analytical and written work behind a research project.
What to weigh
Fieldwork is one part of the pathway. Confirm current projects, prerequisites and how academy courses fit with advanced science options and the student's other graduation requirements.
The College Parkway campus's published research examples reach several Pensacola waterfront sites. Those locations describe prior work, not a guaranteed current field-study schedule.
Ask an instructor to walk through a current investigation from research question to measurement and written conclusion, and explain which students can participate this year.
Based on Washington Marine Science Academy projects and program ↗ · Washington High current school information ↗ · Escambia district enrollment services ↗. Confirm current programs and availability with the school.
What makes this school distinctive.
Local research examples
The academy page shares water-quality and species-study information for sites including Bayview Park, Project Greenshores, Sanders Beach and Morgan Park.
School source ↗Discuss current fieldwork
The program describes collaboration with university and environmental-science partners. Some linked projects are historical, so ask which research and field activities are planned this year.
School source ↗How the official results compare.
Its 57% overall points result is 2 percentage points below the 59% median among 7 other high schools in Escambia County with reported data.
What the results suggest.
Look beyond the latest letter
The sequence C → B → C 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. High and combination schools also faced higher grading thresholds in 2025–26, so a lower letter alone is not proof of weaker instruction.
A result worth noticing
Social studies is 81%, compared with a 72% median for 7 other local schools in the same state category. That 9-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.
Where to look closer
The mathematics result is 36%, 8 percentage points below its 44% local peer median. This is a specific area to discuss, rather than a verdict on the whole school. Ask how teachers identify a student who needs help, what support looks like during the week, and how progress is shared with families.
Finishing school and taking the next step
The published graduation rate is 93%, while college and career acceleration is 53%. Both refer to the state's 2024–25 cohort measures, but they answer different questions. Acceleration reflects specified qualifying accomplishments; it is not a college-admission rate or a count of every student taking an advanced class. Ask which pathways fit your child's goals and what the entry requirements are.
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 | 57% | 59% (7 schools) | −2 pp |
| English language arts achievement | 54% | 54% (7 schools) | Same |
| Mathematics achievement | 36% | 44% (7 schools) | −8 pp |
| Science achievement | 73% | 74% (7 schools) | −1 pp |
| Social studies achievement | 81% | 72% (7 schools) | +9 pp |
| Graduation rate · 2024–25 cohort | 93% | 95% (7 schools) | −2 pp |
| College and career acceleration · 2024–25 cohort | 53% | 84% (7 schools) | −31 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. Florida raised the high and combination school grading thresholds for 2025–26, so a changed letter grade alone does not prove performance declined. 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.
Pensacola State College Charter Academy ↗
Directory grades 09–12 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Pensacola State College Charter Academy reports 96% in mathematics achievement, compared with 36% here. If this is a priority, ask how its instruction and support would serve your child. Worth exploring for a student interested in early college study who is willing to build organizational skills and use advising and tutoring proactively.
Public charter: confirm applications, lottery and seats.West Florida High School/Technical ↗
Directory grades 09–12 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
West Florida High School/Technical reports 95% in college and career acceleration · 2024–25 cohort, compared with 53% here. If this is a priority, ask how its instruction and support would serve your child. Worth investigating for a student who wants a sustained technical focus while completing a broader high-school program and is ready to compare academy choices thoughtfully.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Pensacola High School ↗
Directory grades 09–12 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Pensacola High School reports 82% in college and career acceleration · 2024–25 cohort, compared with 53% here. If this is a priority, ask how its instruction and support would serve your child. A potentially appealing pathway for a student who likes several academic subjects, independent inquiry and extended writing, and wants help developing those habits through a structured program.
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.
Arrange enrollment and a credit review through guidance, then ask about Marine Science Academy admission and how its sequence fits the student's graduation plan. Enrollment resource ↗
- Which marine-science field studies or laboratory projects are active this year?
- How do academy courses fit with AP, dual enrollment and required graduation subjects?
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.