Alachua County Schools & Education
Alachua County, Florida
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
33/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
90.4%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
90.4%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 89.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$5,871
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,118
School Score
33/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 36/100
State Score Position
#45
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Alachua County
Measured School Summary
Despite a lower school score of 33/100, Alachua County maintains a strong graduation rate of 90.4%, suggesting effective student support systems.
Funding Context
At $5,871 per pupil, Alachua County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 8% below the Florida average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 4% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Alachua County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
64 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
33/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #45 of 67 Florida counties with school score data.
Completion
90.4%
0.6 pts above the state average
Funding context
$5,871
$247 below the state average
School coverage
64
2 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Alachua County has 64 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Alachua County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
ALACHUA carries most of the listed public-school system, with 62 of 64 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#45
of 67 Florida counties with school score data. The county score is 3 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
ALACHUA
Elementary to high school visible
28,916 students
62 listed schools in this county slice.
UF LAB SCH
High school only in this slice
1,287 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
ALACHUA is the largest listed district slice, with 62 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Alachua County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Alachua County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Alachua County, Florida
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
A Growing Academic Hub in Alachua
Alachua County maintains a robust educational infrastructure with 64 public schools serving 30,203 students across two districts. The system includes 31 elementary, 10 middle, and 16 high schools, plus seven specialized facilities. Most students attend schools within the primary Alachua district, which manages 62 of the county's locations.
University Influence and Charter Diversity
The Alachua district is the dominant provider with 28,916 students, while the UF Lab School serves 1,287 students in a specialized research environment. Charter schools play a major role here, making up 20.3% of the total landscape with 13 different options. This variety provides families with diverse pedagogical choices from traditional public to laboratory settings.
Urban Centers Meet Rural Classrooms
The school environment is split between 30 city-based schools and 15 rural campuses, reflecting the county's varied geography. The average school size is 530 students, ranging from small rural outposts to massive campuses like F. W. Buchholz High School, which enrolls 2,540 students. This mix ensures that families can find both intimate learning environments and large-scale academic centers.
School Overview
Total Schools
64
in Alachua County
Reported Enrollment
30,203
64 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
13
20% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Alachua County
ALACHUA
GuideUF LAB SCH
64 Public Schools in Alachua County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 9 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 64 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F. W. BUCHHOLZ HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32606Suburb: Midsize | 5–12 | High | 2,540 |
| GAINESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32609City: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 1,873 |
| P.K. YONGE DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH SCHOOL | Profile | UF LAB SCH | GAINESVILLE, 32601City: Midsize | KG–12 | Other | 1,287 |
| EASTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32641Suburb: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 1,220 |
| SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | ALACHUA | ALACHUA, 32615Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,154 |
| KANAPAHA MIDDLE SCHOOL | Profile | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32608Suburb: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 1,094 |
| HIGH SPRINGS COMMUNITY SCHOOL | Profile | ALACHUA | HIGH SPRINGS, 32643Town: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 974 |
| OAK VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL | Profile | ALACHUA | NEWBERRY, 32669Rural: Distant | 5–8 | Middle | 964 |
| FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL | Profile | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32606Suburb: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 961 |
| KIMBALL WILES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32608Suburb: Midsize | PK–5 | Primary | 862 |
| MEADOWBROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32606Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 848 |
| WESTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32605City: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 847 |
| HOWARD W. BISHOP MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32609City: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 823 |
| HIDDEN OAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32606Suburb: Midsize | PK–5 | Primary | 775 |
| LAWTON M. CHILES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32608Suburb: Midsize | PK–5 | Primary | 749 |
| NEWBERRY HIGH SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | NEWBERRY, 32669Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 728 |
| ABRAHAM LINCOLN MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32641City: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 709 |
| LITTLEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32605City: Midsize | PK–5 | Primary | 706 |
| NEWBERRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | NEWBERRY, 32669Rural: Distant | PK–4 | Primary | 661 |
| WILLIAM S. TALBOT ELEM SCHOOL | Record | ALACHUA | GAINESVILLE, 32653City: Midsize | PK–5 | Primary | 631 |
F. W. BUCHHOLZ HIGH SCHOOL
ALACHUA
GAINESVILLE, 32606 / Suburb: Midsize
GAINESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
ALACHUA
GAINESVILLE, 32609 / City: Midsize
P.K. YONGE DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH SCHOOL
UF LAB SCH
GAINESVILLE, 32601 / City: Midsize
EASTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL
ALACHUA
GAINESVILLE, 32641 / Suburb: Midsize
SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL
ALACHUA
ALACHUA, 32615 / Rural: Fringe
KANAPAHA MIDDLE SCHOOL
ALACHUA
GAINESVILLE, 32608 / Suburb: Midsize
HIGH SPRINGS COMMUNITY SCHOOL
ALACHUA
HIGH SPRINGS, 32643 / Town: Distant
OAK VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL
ALACHUA
NEWBERRY, 32669 / Rural: Distant
FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL
ALACHUA
GAINESVILLE, 32606 / Suburb: Midsize
KIMBALL WILES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ALACHUA
GAINESVILLE, 32608 / Suburb: Midsize
HIDDEN OAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ALACHUA
GAINESVILLE, 32606 / Suburb: Midsize
LAWTON M. CHILES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ALACHUA
GAINESVILLE, 32608 / Suburb: Midsize
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$5,871
State avg $6,118
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Alachua County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Florida?
How should I read the school score in Alachua County?
What is the graduation rate in Alachua County?
How much does Alachua County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Alachua County, Florida — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Alachua County, Florida?
Alachua County maintains a robust educational infrastructure with 64 public schools serving 30,203 students across two districts. The system includes 31 elementary, 10 middle, and 16 high schools, plus seven specialized facilities. Most students attend schools within the primary Alachua district, which manages 62 of the county's locations.
What are the major school districts in Alachua County, Florida?
The Alachua district is the dominant provider with 28,916 students, while the UF Lab School serves 1,287 students in a specialized research environment. Charter schools play a major role here, making up 20.3% of the total landscape with 13 different options. This variety provides families with diverse pedagogical choices from traditional public to laboratory settings.
What is the school experience like in Alachua County?
The school environment is split between 30 city-based schools and 15 rural campuses, reflecting the county's varied geography. The average school size is 530 students, ranging from small rural outposts to massive campuses like F. W. Buchholz High School, which enrolls 2,540 students. This mix ensures that families can find both intimate learning environments and large-scale academic centers.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.