Rutherford High School
1000 School Avenue, Panama City, FL, 32401-5157 - Map Map

School Overview:
Definition of Terms
Rutherford High School
School Level High school
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County Bay County, FL
Students & Faculty
Total Students 1755 students
% Male / % Female 46%  /  54%
Total Classroom Teachers 102 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 9 - 539 students
Grade 10 - 418 students
Grade 11 - 425 students
Grade 12 - 373 students
This School
(FL) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:17 1:19
Students by Ethnicity
This School
(FL) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 6% 2%
% Hispanic 3% 18%
% Black 29% 26%
% White 62% 52%
Additional Student Information
This School
(FL) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 26% 26%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch 8% 6%
% Migrant Students Enrolled 2% n/a
School Performance:
(FL) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name Bay County School District
This School's Agency
(FL) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 48 24
Number of Students Managed 27,618 students 15,852 students
District Total Revenue $230,537,000 $150,286,000
District Expenditure $219,032,000 $148,035,000
District Revenue / Student $8,347 $9,481
District Expenditure / Student $7,931 $9,339
District Graduation Rates 91% 90%
In the News:
  • Holy Nativity founder dies on school's 50th anniversary (The News Herald)
    posted on November 15, 2009 at 08:45:49 pm
    PANAMA CITY — During the celebration of Holy Nativity Episcopal School’s 50th anniversary, one of the school’s founding members passed away. Mary “Olive” McFall Damon, who went by Olive amongst her friends and family, passed away Nov. 7 at...
  • Butler, Lacewell, Salares Named Notable Noles (WMBB TV Panama City)
    posted on November 13, 2009 at 07:47:49 pm
    Since 1996, Florida State University Panama City has recognized some of its most outstanding alumni as Notable ‘Noles
  • Area celebrates Veterans Day with parade // PHOTOS, VIDEO (The News Herald)
    posted on November 11, 2009 at 10:45:49 pm
    PANAMA CITY — Veterans Day is not just another day for Kenneth Stickley. A veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, Stickley joined a lengthy procession to the Panama City Marina of other service men and women, police and fire personnel, Cub...
  • Schools move to fire maid for theft (The News Herald)
    posted on November 10, 2009 at 11:30:50 pm
    PANAMA CITY — Bay District School Board members voted Tuesday to suspend an employee without pay and proceed with her termination for “borrowing” $3,465 from a Rutherford High School fund. Pamela Thomas, 50, was arrested Nov. 3 and is facing a...
  • Science sizzles at GCCC // VIDEO (The News Herald)
    posted on October 3, 2009 at 03:46:00 am
    PANAMA CITY — Dry ice bubbles, bones, the human anatomy, aquatic creatures and owl pellets were all on display Friday afternoon at the fourth annual Sizzling Science event. Hundreds of elementary school children came to Gulf Coast Community
View all past news stories
School Notes:
  • Rutherford High School is a public high school in Panama City, Florida, United States.
  • The school, which describes itself as the "Home of the Rams" and is a part of the Bay District Schools, opened its doors in 1961 as the second high school in Bay County. The school held its first graduation ceremony in 1964. The school was accredited by the SACS in 1963. In 2006, Rutherford had a student population of 1,755 students.
  • Overview
  • Rutherford High School offers many opportunities to its students. Rutherford is host to a chapter of the International Baccalaureate program, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), and the Communications and Technology Academy (Com/Tech). In addition, Advanced Placement, dual-enrolled, and honors level courses are available for all students. Extracurricular activities include sports, service clubs, and many other student organizations. Rutherford offers more themed academies than any of the other schools in Bay County.
  • School Grades
  • Rutherford High School had consistently been ranked a "B" or "C" grade school under Florida's A++ Plan, the school's 2006-2007 score was "D". The school's current theme is "Whatever it takes!" with the aim of being ranked an "A" school and raising the achievement levels of all students in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act.
  • Educational Programs
  • International Baccalaureate
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) began its authorization on campus in 1992. Rutherford High School's IB Program serves as a Magnet Program for the Bay County School District. In the June 2, 2003, edition of Newsweek Magazine, Rutherford was named as one of the top high schools in the United States based on the quality of its college preparatory offerings. [1]
  • The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is designed to meet the highest standards required of any high school student in the world. Successful completion of the Diploma Program earns the student a diploma recognized for university admission throughout the world, and for course credit and academic placement at over one thousand leading colleges and universities in the United States.
  • The IB Diploma Program is a system of syllabi and examinations based on the idea that the general education at the upper secondary level should encompass the development of all the main powers of the mind through which the student interprets, modifies, and enjoys his/her environment.
  • IB Classes (11th and 12th grade) are offered in six concurrent academic areas, Language A1: (First Language) including the study of selections from World Literature, Language B: (Second Language) or second Language A, Individuals and Societies (Social Sciences), Experimental Sciences, Mathematics, and The Arts and Electives. Pre-IB courses are also offered in all subject areas for 9th and 10th grade.[2]
  • Rutherford's IB Coordinator: Mrs. Karen T. Brown
  • Personal Education Plan Curriculum
  • PEP (Personal Educational Plans) was initiated in 1994. PEPs are career-oriented curriculum arrangements that are geared to the personal needs of each student. Rutherford High has undertaken a program designed to help students explore career goals. At the heart of every student’s personal education plan are the “core” courses which are required for graduation and/or college entrance. By choosing a PEP, students will focus on specific career-oriented courses with teachers interested in that career to advise and oversee the students’ progress toward graduation.
  • Each student’s schedule within a PEP could vary somewhat depending on the specific career being prepared, the student’s interests and abilities. Most programs are designed for a two or three year curriculum, some PEP courses involve off-campus laboratory training offered at Tom P. Haney Center. Juniors may be involved in half day programs and seniors in whole day programs. Gold Seal Vocational Scholar and Florida Academic Scholar endorsements are also available.
  • PEP Programs listed:
  • Aerospace Institute
  • Aquaquest
  • Business Technology
  • Cottage Industries/Small Business
  • Communications Technology
  • Culinary Arts
  • Engineering and Technology
  • General Career Education
  • Health Occupations
  • International Studies
  • Law Enforcement Careers
  • Marketing and Business Ownership
  • People Helping Professions
  • Rutherford Academy of Music
  • Sports Related Occupations
  • Visual Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Also known as ComTech, Rutherford's Communications Technology course consists of classes that teach students how to use many computer programs such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash and Adobe Premier. In addition to these program based courses, Comtech also has some core classes such as English and History. These classes however take a different approach to teaching the students. The ComTech curriculum is built around technology, thus many, if not all, of the classwork and lessons are built around programs such as Microsoft's Powerpoint, Excel, and Word.
  • Student Life
  • List of Student Organizations
  • AFJROTC
  • Academic Team
  • Anchor Club
  • Anime Club
  • Aries (Yearbook)
  • Avatar
  • Band
  • National Beta Club
  • National Honor Society,
  • Cheerleading
  • Choir
  • ComTech (Communications Technology)
  • DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America)
  • Etude (Band Organization)
  • FBLA-PBL Future Business Leaders of America
  • FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes)
  • FEA
  • Film Society
  • Golden Girls
  • HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America)
  • IBSC (International Baccalaureate Student Council)
  • Ignite Club
  • Interact Club
  • International Thespian Society
  • I.S.L.A.M. Club
  • Key Club
  • Law Club
  • Mu Alpha Theta (Mathematics Honor Society)
  • Rampage (School Newspaper)
  • RSGA (Student Government Association)
  • Science Club
  • Spanish Club
  • SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco)
  • WRAM (School News & TV)
  • Ocean Club
  • "The Pride" Band
  • Rutherford is also known for the quality of its musical instruction. "The Pride" has earned 42 consecutive 'Superior' ratings from the Florida Bandmasters Association under the direction of Mr. Rodney Dasinger. Mr. Dasinger, better known to his students as Mr."D", flirted with retirement at the end of the 07-08 school year, but decided to come back for one more year. He has, however, retired starting at the end of the 08-09 school year. The band has been under the direction of Mr. Rodney Dasinger since 1982, and has created a wonderful reputation for the band program with its "seniority." The marching band has received straight superiors at the Florida Bandmasters Association Marching Festival for 41 years (27 years under Dasinger). The Symphonic band has received many honors under his direction including many 1st place performances at the Dogwood Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee in the Concert band portion of the competition. In recent years, the band has diminished in numbers because of the lack of band programs in the middle schools in Bay County. However, "The Pride" still has the reputation as the best band in Bay County because of Rodney Dasinger's marvelous teaching ability. He is considered to be one of the state's most well respected band directors. For the 09-010 school year Rutherford High School is now under the direction of Mr. Jim Colvin. Jim Colvin is an alumni of Troy University and has taught at area schools such as Rosenwald Middle School, Marianna High School, and Everitt Middle School.On October 24th, 2009, during his first year at Rutherford Mr. Colvin lead the band to Straight Superiors, and the tradtion of Superiority continues..
  • School uniforms
  • Students at the school are required to wear school uniforms, as in all schools in the Bay District.
  • IB program homepage
  • External links
  • Rutherford Home Page
  • RSGA Website
  • Rutherford Alumni site
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
  • Add/edit information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (32401)
School Zip (32401)
(FL) State Average
Population (Approximate) 24,545 people 15,366,089 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 21% 27%
Population Average Age 38 years old 37 years old
Average Household size 2.3 persons 2.3 persons
Median Household Income $25,311 $38,396
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 4.9 rooms 5.0 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 49 years old 32 years old
View Current Housing Listings View current housing listings in this area
Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (32401)


Zillow Median Value of Housing Unit
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Zillow Median Value of Housing Unit
% Owning / % Renting 57% / 43% 67% / 33%
School Map:
1. Tom P. Haney Vocational-technical Center - n/a - 0.7 mi. away - view location
2. Shaw Adult Center - n/a - 1.2 mi. away - view location
3. A. D. Harris High School - 325 students - 1.9 mi. away - view location
4. Bay Boot Camp - 501 students - 2.3 mi. away - view location
5. Chautauqua Charter School - 32 students - 2.5 mi. away - view location
View all schools in: Panama City, Bay County, Zip 32401 
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects 2006 statistics (most recent year available).

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