Public schools in Gainesville, FL
46 open public schools with an address in Gainesville, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
46
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
22,094
46 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15.9:1
Florida median 16.8:1
Charter schools
8
9 magnet · 4 virtual
An overview of Gainesville public schools
The federal directory lists 46 public schools in Gainesville, FL: 22 elementary, 7 middle, 13 high, 4 combined or other. The 46 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 22,094 students, an average of 480 per school. The largest campus is F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students), and the largest elementary school is Meadowbrook Elementary School (791).
Alachua operates the most schools here (44), plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 15.9:1, lower than the statewide school median of 16.8:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 8 charter schools, 9 magnet schools, 4 virtual schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 10 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 4 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 1 of 11 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 48% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Gainesville
Elementary schools in Gainesville
22Middle schools in Gainesville
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln Middle School Alachua · Magnet | 06–08 | 613 | 22.4:1 | |
| Fort Clarke Middle School Alachua | 06–08 | 840 | 20:1 | |
| Howard W. Bishop Middle School Alachua · Magnet | 06–08 | 824 | 22.9:1 | |
| Kanapaha Middle School Alachua | 06–08 | 1,014 | 21:1 | |
| Resilience Charter School Inc Alachua · Charter | 06–08 | 107 | 35.7:1 | |
| The Einstein School Inc. Alachua · Charter · Alternative School | 02–08 | 97 | 16.2:1 | |
| Westwood Middle School Alachua | 06–08 | 854 | 22.6:1 |
High schools in Gainesville
13| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Quinn Jones Center Alachua · Alternative School | 06–12 | 95 | 6.7:1 | |
| Alachua County Jail Alachua · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | — | |
| Alachua Eschool (Virtual Franchise) Alachua · Virtual | 06–12 | 178 | 118.7:1 | |
| Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center Alachua · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | — | |
| Eastside High School Alachua · Magnet | 08–12 | 1,291 | 25.1:1 | |
| F. W. Buchholz High School Alachua · Magnet | 08–12 | 2,416 | 27.5:1 | |
| Gainesville High School Alachua · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,825 | 24.6:1 | |
| North Central Florida Public Charter School Alachua · Charter · Alternative School | 08–12 | 169 | 24.1:1 | |
| P. K. Yonge Virtual Franchise Uf Lab Sch · Virtual | 06–12 | 0 | — | |
| Pace Alachua · Alternative School | 06–12 | 51 | — | |
| Professional Academy Magnet at Loften High School Alachua · Magnet | 09–12 | 328 | 18.2:1 | |
| Santa Fe College High School Dual Enrollment Alachua | 11–12 | 0 | — | |
| Siatech Mycroschool Inc. Alachua · Charter · Alternative School | 09–12 | 97 | 97:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Gainesville
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua Virtual Instruction Program Alachua · Virtual | KG–12 | 0 | — | |
| Hospital Homebound Alachua · Special Education School | KG–12 | 29 | — | |
| P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School Uf Lab Sch | PK–12 | 1,363 | 18.3:1 | |
| Sidney Lanier Center Alachua · Alternative School | KG–12 | 139 | 8.3:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White32.4%
- Hispanic16.5%
- Black37.8%
- Asian5.6%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial7.5%
Enrollment-weighted across 41 Gainesville schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (22,094 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Gainesville
How many public schools are in Gainesville, FL?
The current NCES directory lists 46 open public schools with a location address in Gainesville: 22 elementary, 7 middle, 13 high, 4 combined or other. Together they reported 22,094 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Gainesville?
Schools with an address in Gainesville belong to 2 education agencies, led by Alachua (44 schools), Uf Lab Sch (2 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Gainesville?
F. W. Buchholz High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Gainesville, with 2,416 students in 2024–25 (grades 08–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Gainesville?
Yes. 8 of the 46 public schools in Gainesville are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Boulware Springs Charter, Caring & Sharing Learning School, Expressions Learning Arts Academy. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Gainesville schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Gainesville public schools is 15.9:1, lower than the Florida school median of 16.8:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Gainesville guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Florida cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Florida cities