Enrollment
1,825
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Gainesville, FL
Gainesville High School
Federal NCES profile for Gainesville High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120003000013
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gainesville High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Gainesville · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 29:1
- large classes for Florida
- 42.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Gainesville High School has class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gainesville High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Gainesville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+63% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gainesville High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gainesville High School
Gainesville High School is a large high school in Gainesville, Florida, enrolling 1,825 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29:1 is larger than about 95% of Florida schools and 63% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,825 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 315 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #199.
Its student body is led by African American (33%) and White (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 456 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students) and Eastside High School (1,291 students) alongside Gainesville High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Gainesville High School compares
Gainesville High School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 29:1 | ▲ 63% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.4% | ▼ 18% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,825 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,825
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
29:1
students per teacher
- 63% above state mean
Top 95% in Florida - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
25.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,805
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 456 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
159
in-school suspensions + 148 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 32.9%
White 32.3%
Hispanic or Latino 22.0%
Two or More 7.5%
Asian 5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 32.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.1, Gainesville High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alachua, which includes Gainesville High School.
$10,805
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.3%
State 36.3%
Federal 19.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Gainesville High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| F. W. Buchholz High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastside High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Kanapaha Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak View Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gainesville High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,416
- Students per teacher
- 30.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 30.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,132
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,014
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 962
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,825 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gainesville High School's federal record.
- Compare Gainesville High School against another school. Compare schools
- Alachua's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Gainesville High School
How many students attend Gainesville High School?
Gainesville High School has 1,825 students enrolled. It is a high school in Gainesville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gainesville High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gainesville High School is 29:1, which is 63% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 85% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gainesville High School?
42.4% of students at Gainesville High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gainesville High School?
The largest demographic group at Gainesville High School is African American at 32.9% of enrollment, in Gainesville, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gainesville High School?
Gainesville High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gainesville High School rank among high schools in Gainesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Gainesville High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Gainesville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Gainesville on the city page.
Is Gainesville High School a good school?
Gainesville High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Alachua?
Besides Gainesville High School, Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students), Eastside High School (1,291 students), and Santa Fe High School (1,132 students). See the Alachua district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.