Bak Middle School of the Arts, 1725 Echo Lake Drive: arts magnet for grades 6-8, 1,260 students on Aug. 24 and an A in Florida's 2026 grades.

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, the School District of Palm Beach County’s Schools & Principals list, zone maps and feeder reports and start times, Palm Beach County’s address records, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file and the federal NCES school directory.

Bak Middle School of the Arts is the School District of Palm Beach County’s arts magnet middle school, on Echo Lake Drive and inside West Palm Beach city limits, according to Palm Beach County’s municipal boundary map. It has no attendance zone: every student applies and auditions. The district’s school information lists the Star as its mascot. The district counted 1,260 students on Aug. 24, 89% of the building’s capacity.

Who to call
Address 1725 Echo Lake Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Phone 561-882-3870
Grades 6 to 8
School day 8:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
City limits Inside West Palm Beach
District School District of Palm Beach County

Principal

Principal Sally Rozanski, according to the district’s Schools & Principals list, which the school’s website links from its menu.

Enrollment and teachers

  • District count: 1,260 students, 8 of them in pre-K, on the 11th day of the 2026-27 school year (Aug. 24, 2026). The district rates the building for 1,418, so it is at 9% of capacity, according to its 11th Day Enrollment Report.
  • Federal count: 1,217 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 72 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That works out to about 17 students per teacher.

How admission works

Bak is a full choice school with no attendance boundary, according to the district’s 2026-27 Choice and In-House Programs guide (PDF). Students from anywhere in the county may apply.

  • Every program needs an eligible audition score to enter the lottery.
  • The school, not the district office, schedules auditions and emails each applicant a date.
  • The guide lists these areas: Communication Arts, Dance, Music (band, keyboard and piano, orchestral strings, vocal), Theatre and Visual Arts.
  • Lottery results for the current school year were released April 2, 2026, the guide says.

Students who are not admitted keep their zoned middle school; check it on the Find My School map. Many Bak students go on to audition for the high school arts magnet, Dreyfoos School of the Arts.

State report card

Florida grades every public school A to F, from the share of possible points it earns on state test results, learning gains and middle school acceleration, the share of students passing high school level courses and industry certifications.

School year Grade
2025-26 A (89% of possible points)
2024-25 A
2023-24 A
2022-23 A (informational baseline)

From the state’s 2026 school grades file, the share of students scoring on grade level on the state tests in 2025-26:

  • English language arts: 96%
  • Math: 98%
  • Science: 89%
  • Social studies: 98%
  • Middle school acceleration: 79%

The full report card is on the state’s Florida school report cards site, an interactive dashboard; the figures above come from the downloadable file.

Calendar and bell times

From the district’s 2026-27 key dates:

  • Monday, Oct. 12: no school for students; the second quarter starts Tuesday, Oct. 13
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: no school for students
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: fall holiday
  • Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, 2027: winter break; Monday, Jan. 4, is also a day off for students

The district’s start and end times list Bak’s day as 8:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.

More on West Palm Beach schools

Frequently asked questions

How do you get into Bak Middle School of the Arts?

Bak has no attendance zone. Students apply through the district’s choice application and need an eligible audition score in their art area; the school schedules the auditions.

What grades does Bak Middle School of the Arts serve?

Grades 6 through 8, at 1725 Echo Lake Drive, inside West Palm Beach city limits.

What is Bak Middle School of the Arts’ school grade?

Bak earned an A in Florida’s 2026 school grades, with 89% of possible points. It has earned an A in every graded year since 2001, according to the state’s file.

What time does Bak Middle School of the Arts start?

The district lists the school day as 8:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.