Bayside Academy

Learn About Bayside Academy

Bayside Academy opened its doors in September 1970 and has been providing students with an exceptional education ever since. At Bayside, education goes beyond the basics of reading and writing and mathematics. Our graduates excel academically and are ethical, moral leaders deeply engaged in their communities.

Applying to Bayside

At Bayside Academy, our mission is to develop the whole child, and we consistently rank as one of the state's premier independent schools. From PK3 through 12th grade, our college preparatory curriculum is grounded in our core values, the arts, and athletics. The more you learn about Bayside, the more you will sense we are a family. The connections between our teachers, students, parents, and alumni are key ingredients of the success of our school and create an environment that allows our students to thrive.

Academics at Bayside

Bayside Academy students innovate, collaborate, communicate, problem solve, and continuously redefine personal success in the pursuit of goals. They lead a life defined by a balance between happiness and high achievement. Bayside students are active participants in the learning process and critically reflect on their shared experience within a supportive teaching and learning community.

Visual & Performing Arts

At Bayside Academy, we embrace the visual, performing, and musical arts and consider creative development an integral part of a complete academic experience. Dedicated to developing the whole student, we begin with opportunities for ballet, strings, and vocal instruction at the earliest levels and continue through to full-scale dramatic productions and AP studio classes in Upper School.

Athletics at Bayside

Bayside Academy students are encouraged to participate in athletics, and we offer outstanding programs with the chance for students to excel through sportsmanship, drive, and teamwork. We field 40 teams in 17 sports for students in Grades 7–12 and have YDL offerings in 9 sports for students in Grades 1–6. We foster a culture of inclusivity and integrity, both on and off the field.

Make a Difference

At Bayside Academy, we believe that our philanthropic actions communicate who we are and what we believe on the deepest level. They are an opportunity to harness our passions, to act on our values for the greater good, and to nourish our souls. Each commitment to the school allows us to carry out our mission, embrace our traditions, and cultivate lifelong learners in a nurturing and safe environment.

Why Bayside?

Situated directly on Mobile Bay, Bayside is the only NAIS-accredited, co-educational, non-sectarian, independent college preparatory day school on the Eastern Shore. Bayside enjoys a strong reputation for excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts. We recognize the value of an independent school education in cultivating the whole child—academically, physically, socially, and emotionally.

Our graduates have been accepted to:

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Isabella McCormick '21 Selected for Fulbright Award
5/16/2025
Isabella McCormick '21 has been selected for a Fulbright award for the 2025-2026 academic year and has received the coveted Madrid, Spain, assignment.
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Catherine Doyle '25, Kate Huey '25, and Monroe Partin '26 Named Athletes of the Week
5/8/2025
Bayside seniors Catherine Doyle and Kate Huey and junior Monroe Partin have been named Track & Field Athletes of the Week by the Mobile Optimist Club.
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Bayside Students Win Poster Contest
5/8/2025
Bayside Academy congratulates its 2025 winners for the Baldwin County Soil and Water Conservation District Program Conservation Stewardship Poster & Essay Contest.
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Amelia Wells '25 Awarded Energy Southeast Scholarship
5/7/2025
Bayside senior Amelia Wells has been awarded a scholarship through the Energy Southeast Scholarship Program.
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Bayside Students Win State AISA Art Awards
5/5/2025
Bayside students had a strong showing at the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) State Visual Arts Competition.
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Annie Midyett '25 Wins State Sculpture Award
5/2/2025
Bayside Academy is proud to announce that senior Annie Midyett won Best in Sculpture at the Shelby County Arts Council’s 2025 Statewide High School Juried Art Exhibition.
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Bayside Congratulates VAAP Winners
5/2/2025
Congratulations to seniors Virginia McCrory and Jack McKean for placing in the Alabama State Council on the Arts' 2025 Visual Arts Achievement Program (VAAP) statewide art competition.
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Bayside Students Excel at AISA Art Comptetition
5/1/2025
Bayside's talented art students took top honors in the Alabama Independent Schools Association (AISA) District I art competition.
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Author Anna James to Visit Bayside
4/29/2025
We are thrilled to share that Anna James, beloved author of The Bookwanderers series, is coming to Bayside!
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Annie Midyett '25 and Shelby Fargason '26 Named Athletes of the Week
4/3/2025
Senior Annie Midyett and junior Shelby Fargason were recognized by the Mobile Optimist Club as the 1A–5A Athletes of the Week for their recent track and field performances.
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26 Students Inducted into NJHS
4/1/2025
On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, Bayside Academy inducted 26 students into the Ann Simpson Crosby chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS).
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Chess Teams Three-Peat as Double State Champions
3/31/2025
The Bayside Academy Chess Teams got to play to defend the previous two years’ State Championship Titles in their own home county of Baldwin County at Magnolia School in Magnolia Springs on Saturday, March 29^th.
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42 Students Inducted into NHS
3/24/2025
On Monday, March 24, Bayside Academy inducted 42 students into the Patsy T. Phillips chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS).
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Seniors Cole Dean and Abby McDonald Named WKRG Scholar Athletes
3/13/2025
Congratulations to Bayside seniors Abby McDonald and Cole Dean for being named WKRG Scholar Athletes of the Week.
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Bayside Students Win Top Awards in Virtual Art Competition of Alabama
3/12/2025
Bayside Academy is pleased to announce our winners in this year’s Virtual Art Competition of Alabama, a juried online art competition sponsored by the Alabama Art Educators Association (AAEA).
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Bayside Students Win Big at Youth Legislature
3/11/2025
Bayside sent a strong delegation of 25 students to the 76^th Youth Legislature Conference in Montgomery over the Mardi Gras break.
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Annie Midyett '25 Has Work Selected for Statewide Student Juried Art Show
2/28/2025
Congratulations to Bayside senior Annie Midyett for having her work selected for the 2025 Alabama Statewide Student Juried Art Show.
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Bayside Students Recognized in International Art Competition
2/28/2025
Bayside Academy is proud to announce that Bayside students won four awards in The reEarth International Art Prize global competition.
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Bayside Students Have Strong Showing in VAAP
2/26/2025
Bayside is pleased to announce our winners in this year’s District I Visual Arts Achievement Program sponsored by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
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Hear Our Stories

Myles Cook

Class of 2020

"As I reflect on the years that I spent at Bayside Academy, I truly can say I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my high school career any other way. I feel more than prepared academically and athletically to begin the next chapter of my life as I enter college. I will always remember and cherish memories of Bayside whether it be with the Cross Country and Track team, the closeness of our grade at Pine Mountain, or simply eating lunch on the bluff. Bayside is truly special, and I am thankful to be able to say that I was a part of it for six years."
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Lorie Tomlinson Gaillard '90

Member, Board of Trustees | Current Parent

"Bayside is family. The school fosters deep relationships among students and teachers. The bonds connect people for life. As you grow older, you understand the bond and realize how important you are to each other."
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Steve Marine, P'12

Upper School Faculty | Parent of Bayside Alumni

"My son Scott (Class of 2012) still talks about the impact that Bayside had on his development: academic, social, and ethical. Largely because of Mr. Small's and Mrs. Dyson's passionate class presence, Scott decided to enter the nursing field at UAB. Scott's work ethic, academic rigor, and time management skills, developed here at Bayside, helped elevate him into the honors program at one of the best nursing programs in the country. He is currently working on his master's degree in clinical nursing. We credit Bayside for so much of his success!"
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