How Tampa schools are organized
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Public schools across Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough County, including Temple Terrace, Valrico and Westchase, are part of Hillsborough County Public Schools. The district serves about 206,841 students in 250 schools, making it the third-largest district in Florida and one of the largest in the country.
Pasco County Schools
Addresses in Pasco County, which includes parts of Lutz and Odessa, are served by Pasco County Schools instead. Confirm the county first.
Step 1: check the assigned schools for the exact address
The district's School Zones Locator shows the elementary, middle and high school assigned to a Hillsborough County address. You can also click the map to see nearby application-based magnet and school choice options.
Do this for every home on your shortlist, because boundaries do not follow neighborhood names or ZIP codes. Two homes on either side of a street can be assigned to different schools. Listing descriptions sometimes quote schools that have since changed, so do not rely on them. Boundaries can also be redrawn, so recheck close to your contract date.
Step 2: check state grades and other measures
How the A to F grades work
The Florida Department of Education publishes annual A to F grades for public schools, based on measures such as test achievement and learning gains, and for high schools graduation and acceleration. Look up the current and previous years' grades for each assigned school rather than relying on a single year. A school that moved from one grade to another in a single year may simply reflect a small change in results, while a steady record over several years tells you more.
| School level | What the state grade draws on | What else to check |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Test achievement and learning gains | Class sizes, before- and after-school care, magnet options near the address |
| Middle | Test achievement and learning gains, plus acceleration measures | Magnet middle schools, advanced course options, transport |
| High | Achievement and learning gains, plus graduation and acceleration | IB, AP and career academy programs, application deadlines |
The state's Know Your Schools report cards, linked from the FLDOE EduData portal, show each school's grade history. At the time of writing the portal said the 2025-26 report cards were coming soon, so check which year you are looking at.
What a grade does not show
Look at the things a single grade does not show: class sizes, the programs offered (International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, career academies), transport, and before- and after-school care. Visit or call the school, and ask the district about capacity if a school is growing fast.
Hillsborough County high school grades for 2026
The Florida Department of Education published 2026 school grades for 260 Hillsborough County schools: 95 earned an A, 62 a B, 101 a C and 2 a D. The table lists every school in the file that reports a graduation rate, ranked by the share of possible points it earned. The 2025 grade shows the direction of travel.
How to read the table
A grade describes the school, not a street. Two homes a mile apart can be assigned to different schools, so use the table to shortlist, then confirm the assigned school for the exact address with the district before you rely on it. Magnet, charter and virtual schools on the list draw students by application rather than by address.
| School | 2026 grade | 2025 grade | Share of points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newsome High School | A | A | 78% |
| Bell Creek Academy | A | A | 78% |
| Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School | A | A | 78% |
| Henry B. Plant High School | A | A | 76% |
| Sickles High School | A | A | 75% |
| Steinbrenner High School | A | A | 74% |
| Bloomingdale High School | A | A | 73% |
| Brooks Debartolo Collegiate High School | A | A | 70% |
| Plant City High School | A | B | 68% |
| Robinson High School | A | A | 68% |
| Alonso High School | A | A | 67% |
| Riverview High School | A | A | 67% |
| Tampa Bay Technical High School | A | A | 66% |
| Durant High School | A | B | 65% |
| Strawberry Crest High School | B | A | 64% |
| Gaither High School | B | A | 64% |
| Armwood High School | B | B | 63% |
| Lennard High School | B | B | 62% |
| Jule F. Sumner High School | B | C | 62% |
| Leto High School | B | B | 61% |
| Pivot Charter School | B | C | 61% |
| Hillsborough Virtual School | B | B | 61% |
| Spoto High School | B | B | 60% |
| Hillsborough High School | B | B | 60% |
| Middleton High School | B | C | 60% |
| Wharton High School | B | C | 60% |
| East Bay High School | C | B | 59% |
| King High School | C | C | 59% |
| Jefferson High School | C | B | 57% |
| Winthrop College Prep Academy | C | B | 57% |
| Freedom High School | C | C | 55% |
| Brandon High School | C | C | 53% |
| Sports Leadership And Management Academy (Tampa) | C | B | 53% |
| Blake High School | C | C | 52% |
| Chamberlain High School | C | C | 46% |
| Florida Connections Academy | D | C | 43% |
What changed from 2025
Plant City High School and Durant High School rose from a B to an A. Strawberry Crest and Gaither moved from an A to a B. Sumner, Middleton, Wharton and Pivot Charter improved from a C to a B, while East Bay, Jefferson, Winthrop College Prep and the Sports Leadership and Management Academy slipped from a B to a C.
Notable Tampa high schools and programs
These are examples of long-established schools and well-known programs, not a ranking. Several are application-based, so a home's zoned school and the program you want may not be the same school.
H. B. Plant High School (South Tampa)
Plant is in South Tampa on South Himes Avenue, founded in 1927, with 2,391 students in 2024-25. It was twice named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, in 1990 and 1997.
Hillsborough High School (Seminole Heights)
Hillsborough High is in Seminole Heights on North Central Avenue. It had its first students in 1882, which makes it the oldest public high school in the county, and it has been in its current Gothic-style building since 1928. It is one of five district high schools with an International Baccalaureate program.
C. Leon King High School
King High is a traditional and magnet hybrid school with one of the county's five IB programs, which began in July 1994. It also offers Advanced Placement courses.
Robinson High School
Robinson, established in 1959, is the smallest high school in the county and another of the five with an IB diploma program. Its IB program started in the 2006-07 school year with a pre-IB curriculum in grades 9 and 10, and it has about 150 places a year.
Blake High School
Howard W. Blake High School is a public magnet high school for the visual, communication and performing arts. The current building opened as an arts magnet in 1997.
Tampa Bay Technical High School
Tampa Bay Tech is a comprehensive magnet high school for grades 9 to 12, established in 1969. Students apply to one of three programs, including academies for architecture and environmental design and for health professions, and the district provides transport through a bus transfer system.
Thomas Jefferson High School
Jefferson is in the Westshore business district on West Cypress Street, in a building opened in 1973. It started a magnet program in 2001 that has since moved toward college-preparatory leadership academies.
Other district high schools
Other district high schools serving Tampa-area neighborhoods include Sickles, Alonso, Freedom, Gaither, Wharton and Middleton, which reopened in a new building in East Tampa in 2002. Use the School Zones Locator to see which one serves an address.
Magnet, choice and charter options
Your zoned school is only one option. Hillsborough County runs application-based magnet programs at elementary, middle and high school level, and the School Zones Locator shows nearby magnet and choice options when you click the map.
Magnet schools
The district's magnet schools include elementary programs such as Macfarlane Park International Baccalaureate School and middle magnets such as Sligh, Dowdell, Franklin, Ferrell, Stewart, Orange Grove, Williams, Young and Progress Village. Each has its own theme, entry process and transport arrangements. Check the district's current list and deadlines, because programs and dates change from year to year.
IB and other acceleration programs
Five district high schools offer the IB diploma, including Hillsborough, King and Robinson. Places are limited and entry is by application, so check the deadline well before the school year you want. For Advanced Placement or career academies at your zoned school, ask the school which courses it runs and whether any need an application.
Charter schools
Charter schools are public schools run under a contract with the district, with their own enrollment process. Examples in Tampa include Tampa Charter School and Walton Academy of the Performing Arts. Ask each school about its application window, waiting list and whether it provides transport.
If you move mid-year, ask the district how late you can apply and what happens with siblings. The Tampa relocation guide covers the move itself.
What homes cost in different parts of Tampa
School demand is one of many factors in home prices, so the numbers below are context, not a school premium. Zillow's typical home values for August 2026:
| Area | Typical value | 1-year change |
|---|---|---|
| ZIP 33629 (South Tampa) | $1,036,817 | 0.0% |
| ZIP 33609 (South Tampa) | $608,955 | -1.4% |
| ZIP 33618 (Carrollwood area) | $470,846 | +0.5% |
| ZIP 33647 (New Tampa) | $467,794 | -1.9% |
| Old Seminole Heights | $371,250 | -0.9% |
| Tampa (citywide) | $377,566 | -0.3% |
For more detail, see the Tampa ZIP code guide, the New Tampa guide and the Tampa housing market page.
Questions to settle before you buy for a school
- Which elementary, middle and high school does the School Zones Locator show for this exact address today?
- Are any boundary changes proposed for the next school year?
- If you want a magnet or choice program, what are the application dates, criteria and transport options?
- What are the school's last two or three state grades?
- How long is the drive or bus ride at school times?
A local agent can help you shortlist homes by school zone, but the district's tools are the final word. If you are relocating, the Tampa relocation guide covers timing.
Common questions
How do I find which school a Tampa address is zoned for?+
Use the Hillsborough County Public Schools School Zones Locator. Type in the address to see the assigned elementary, middle and high school, and click the map to view nearby magnet and choice options. Check each home separately, because boundaries do not follow neighborhood names or ZIP codes and can change.
How big is the Tampa school district?+
Tampa is served by Hillsborough County Public Schools, with about 206,841 students in 250 schools. It is the third-largest school district in Florida and one of the largest in the United States. Homes in the Pasco County parts of Lutz and Odessa are served by Pasco County Schools instead.
Which Tampa high schools have an IB program?+
Hillsborough High School in Seminole Heights, founded in 1882, is one of five Hillsborough County public high schools with an International Baccalaureate program. IB and other magnet programs are often application-based, so check the district's current list of programs, entry criteria and deadlines rather than assuming your zoned school offers one.
Where can I see Florida school grades?+
The Florida Department of Education publishes annual A to F grades for public schools, based on measures such as achievement and learning gains, plus graduation and acceleration for high schools. Look at several years for each school your address is zoned for, and visit the school to understand what the grade does not show.
Do Tampa school zones follow ZIP codes or neighborhoods?+
No. Hillsborough County school attendance zones are drawn street by street and do not match ZIP codes or neighborhood names, so homes a short distance apart can be assigned to different schools. Always check the exact address in the district's School Zones Locator, and recheck before closing in case boundaries change.
Which Tampa high schools are magnet schools?+
Examples include Blake High School, a magnet for the visual, communication and performing arts; Tampa Bay Technical High School, a career-focused magnet where students apply to one of three programs; and C. Leon King High School, a traditional and magnet hybrid with an IB program. Magnet programs are application-based, so check the district's current list, entry criteria and deadlines.
Sources
- Hillsborough County Public Schools: School zones locator
- Hillsborough County Public Schools: Maps
- Wikipedia: Hillsborough County Public Schools
- Wikipedia: H. B. Plant High School
- Wikipedia: Hillsborough High School (Tampa, Florida)
- Wikipedia: Lutz, Florida
- Zillow Research: Zillow Home Value Index (August 2026 data)
- Wikipedia: C. Leon King High School
- Wikipedia: Robinson High School (Florida)
- Wikipedia: Blake High School (Florida)
- Wikipedia: Tampa Bay Technical High School
- Wikipedia: Thomas Jefferson High School (Tampa, Florida)
- Wikipedia: Middleton High School (Florida)
- Florida Department of Education: Know Your Schools (EduData)
- Florida Department of Education: School Grades 2026 (SchoolGrades26.xlsx)
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Antonio Roberts
Antonio Roberts has spent five years helping more than 500 Florida buyers and sellers choose the right real estate agent. He is not a real estate agent himself: he researches what matters in a Florida move and connects people with licensed local agents, free of charge.
Reviewed by a licensed Florida real estate agent. Before publication, this guide was checked for accuracy by a licensed Florida real estate agent on our team. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
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