For parents, understanding the educational options available to their children can be a deciding factor in choosing a Pensacola area property. Public school placement is done by where your housing is located, so it’s important to pay attention to school districts when house hunting.
To assist with this, we’ve compiled a list of Pensacola area schools in both Escambia and Santa Rosa County, along with their grades for 2023 and 2024, which were just released. Florida schools are rated on an A-F scale based on student achievement, learning gains, school environment, and subgroup performance. These grades are vital for parents to assess the suitability of schools for their children.
Santa Rosa County is home to several high-performing schools, including Gulf Breeze High School and Pace High School, which consistently receive excellent grades, and is routinely recognized for its reliable and high scores. Many residents with children choose Santa Rosa County for the quality education and commute to Escambia County for work. Meanwhile, Escambia County has shown significant improvements, with notable progress from schools like Holm and L.D. McArthur Elementary, which have advanced from a C to an A grade in the past year. This upward trend indicates that Escambia County schools are on a positive trajectory and are expected to continue their improvement.
Both Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties offer school choice each year for parents to apply for the school of their choice in their district. During open enrollment you may select 3 schools. Keep in mind that the school choice is open for a limited time and transportation may not provided if your child is attending through school choice. Escambia County has a variety of charter schools grades K-12. Charter schools are public schools that receive public funds, and are usually smaller schools. Placement is done by a lottery and not based on location of residence.
Escambia and Santa Rosa County schools went back to session August 12th and 13th. In the Pensacola area, the school year typically runs from the second week of August through the end of May.
To do more research on Pensacola schools, head to our education page for links to school zone locators, school district websites, and Florida Department of Education reports on each county in Florida.
