Gaither High School

Q: Is Gaither High School a good school?

Gaither High School ranks 305 th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Gaither High School is a public high school located in Tampa, Florida, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,123 students. The school is part of the Hillsborough School District, which is ranked 45th out of 68 districts in Florida and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Gaither High School has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a higher percentage of Hispanic students (48.61%) and a lower percentage of White students (35.89%). The school has maintained a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 92.2% to 96.2% over the past few years, which is higher than the state and district averages. However, Gaither High School has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 17.7% in 2019-2020 to 40.5% in 2021-2022, which is higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores, particularly in Algebra 1 and Geometry, are lower than the state and district averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 26% to 54% in various subjects and grade levels.

Gaither High School's performance is generally lower than the nearby high-performing schools, such as Steinbrenner High School and Brooks Debartolo Collegiate High School, in terms of test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. The school's higher spending per student and student-teacher ratio compared to the state and district averages may indicate a need to evaluate the effectiveness of resource allocation and identify areas for improvement. By addressing the identified challenges and collaborating with higher-performing nearby schools, Gaither High School can work towards enhancing its academic performance and providing a more equitable and supportive learning environment for its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

16200 N Dale Mabry Hwy
Tampa, FL 33618

(813) 975-7340

District: Hillsborough

SchoolDigger Rank:
305^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,015

Feeder schools for Gaither High School:

Elementary:	Claywell Elementary School
	Essrig Elementary School
	Miles Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 22.2

Number of students: 2,123

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.6%

White:

35.9%

African American:

8.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.9%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Gaither High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Gaither High School ranks better than 62.2% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 15^th among 42 ranked high schools in the Hillsborough School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.75. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Gaither High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48.6%), White (35.9%), African American (8.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gaither High School is 22.2. 26 high schools in the Hillsborough School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Gaither High School employs 95.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gaither High School is $8,015, which is the 24^th highest among 42 high schools in the Hillsborough School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Gaither High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Gaither High School 305^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Gaither High School in the ranking list.)

Hillsborough:

SchoolDigger ranks Hillsborough 45^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Gaither High School.

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Rank History for Gaither High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	87.37	47^th	484	90.3%
2005	81.32	74^th	487	84.8%
2006	82.98	60^th	477	87.4%
2007	77.40	100^th	563	82.2%
2008	79.36	104^th	577	82.0%
2009	74.46	129^th	587	78.0%
2010	72.14	161^st	620	74.0%
2011	68.42	193^rd	622	69.0%
2012	41.68	314^th	606	48.2%
2013	46.37	319^th	648	50.8%
2014	53.26	297^th	687	56.8%
2016	47.03	308^th	693	55.6%
2017	48.31	296^th	714	58.5%
2018	50.83	271^st	716	62.2%
2019	52.85	262^nd	734	64.3%
2021	43.09	334^th	746	55.2%
2022	48.66	302^nd	774	61.0%
2023	47.14	316^th	792	60.1%
2024	49.75	305^th	807	62.2%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

25%

75%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Does not support the student. I've had all of my kids go through Gaither high and the last two school years have been the worst I have ever seen. Something has changed in the higher ups...Principal and assistant principal and it has all been down hill from there. Would not recommend this school at all Close Quote

Enrollment information for Gaither High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1892	269	40	123	13	n/a	n/a	0	2337
1989	1763	247	46	140	9	n/a	n/a	0	2205
1990	1748	238	61	163	7	n/a	n/a	0	2217
1991	1650	242	66	170	5	n/a	n/a	0	2133
1992	1639	242	74	213	4	n/a	n/a	0	2172
1993	1621	267	89	257	7	n/a	n/a	0	2241
1994	1646	244	74	295	11	n/a	n/a	0	2270
1995	1814	268	65	349	6	n/a	n/a	0	2502
1996	1814	268	65	349	6	n/a	n/a	0	2502
1997	2060	265	89	417	7	n/a	n/a	0	2838
1998	2068	289	107	439	8	n/a	n/a	0	2911
1999	1812	266	114	393	10	n/a	n/a	0	2595
2000	1744	237	111	400	11	n/a	n/a	0	2503
2001	1749	245	102	495	11	n/a	n/a	0	2602
2002	1592	158	97	546	9	n/a	n/a	0	2402
2003	1592	158	97	546	9	n/a	n/a	0	2402
2004	1542	152	82	618	8	n/a	n/a	0	2402
2005	1499	183	71	635	10	n/a	n/a	0	2398
2006	1476	183	76	668	13	n/a	n/a	0	2416
2007	1347	165	68	668	14	n/a	n/a	74	2336
2008	1325	175	68	686	11	n/a	n/a	95	2360
2009	1274	190	72	683	9	n/a	n/a	109	2337
2010	1145	197	61	598	2	n/a	n/a	130	2133
2011	967	190	63	744	7	2	62	0	2035
2012	887	198	74	764	6	1	54	0	1984
2013	883	208	85	767	8	2	56	0	2009
2014	913	210	88	798	12	4	70	0	2095
2015	856	216	86	840	8	2	82	0	2090
2016	828	238	82	891	6	2	78	0	2125
2017	779	215	85	940	7	2	74	0	2102
2018	755	205	85	890	7	2	76	0	2020
2019	766	212	78	897	6	3	75	0	2037
2020	769	215	77	938	4	4	78	0	2085
2021	710	193	68	941	3	4	77	0	1996
2022	777	174	67	986	0	3	86	0	2093
2023	762	173	57	1032	2	1	96	0	2123

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Gaither High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2337	145.0	16.1	8.6
1989	2205	127.0	17.3	8.2
1990	2217	128.0	17.3	8.8
1991	2133	132.0	16.1	10.2
1992	2172	124.0	17.5	7.8
1993	2241	108.0	20.8	8.5
1994	2270	118.0	19.2	11.1
1995	2502	132.0	19.0	8.5
1996	2502	132.0	19.0	8.5
1997	2838	136.0	20.9	9.5
1998	2911	141.0	20.6	9.5
1999	2595	139.0	18.7	13.2
2000	2503	138.0	18.1	4.6
2001	2602	141.0	18.5	5.3
2002	2402	136.0	17.7	16.4
2003	2402	136.0	17.7	16.4
2004	2402	138.0	17.4	18.2
2005	2398	141.0	17.0	22.1
2006	2416	110.0	22.0	20.6
2007	2336	104.0	22.5	23.9
2008	2360	122.0	19.3	27.8
2009	2337	123.2	20.0	31.8
2010	2133	112.0	19.0	36.7
2011	2035	115.5	17.6	38.5
2012	1984	105.6	18.7	41.8
2013	2009	110.0	18.2	44.6
2014	2095	119.0	17.6	46.3
2015	2090	117.0	17.8	51.2
2016	2125	116.0	18.3	50.6
2017	2102	114.0	18.4	52.1
2018	2020	120.0	16.8	54.6
2019	2037	111.5	18.2	55.2
2020	2085	109.0	19.1	52.8
2021	1996	104.5	19.1	59.1
2022	2093	97.0	21.5	49.5
2023	2123	95.5	22.2	51.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Gaither High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2337	145.0	16.1	8.6
1989	2205	127.0	17.3	8.2
1990	2217	128.0	17.3	8.8
1991	2133	132.0	16.1	10.2
1992	2172	124.0	17.5	7.8
1993	2241	108.0	20.8	8.5
1994	2270	118.0	19.2	11.1
1995	2502	132.0	19.0	8.5
1996	2502	132.0	19.0	8.5
1997	2838	136.0	20.9	9.5
1998	2911	141.0	20.6	9.5
1999	2595	139.0	18.7	13.2
2000	2503	138.0	18.1	4.6
2001	2602	141.0	18.5	5.3
2002	2402	136.0	17.7	16.4
2003	2402	136.0	17.7	16.4
2004	2402	138.0	17.4	18.2
2005	2398	141.0	17.0	22.1
2006	2416	110.0	22.0	20.6
2007	2336	104.0	22.5	23.9
2008	2360	122.0	19.3	27.8
2009	2337	123.2	20.0	31.8
2010	2133	112.0	19.0	36.7
2011	2035	115.5	17.6	38.5
2012	1984	105.6	18.7	41.8
2013	2009	110.0	18.2	44.6
2014	2095	119.0	17.6	46.3
2015	2090	117.0	17.8	51.2
2016	2125	116.0	18.3	50.6
2017	2102	114.0	18.4	52.1
2018	2020	120.0	16.8	54.6
2019	2037	111.5	18.2	55.2
2020	2085	109.0	19.1	52.8
2021	1996	104.5	19.1	59.1
2022	2093	97.0	21.5	49.5
2023	2123	95.5	22.2	51.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Gaither High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$274 (3.7%)	$7,117 (96.3%)	$7,391
2019	$312 (4.1%)	$7,358 (95.9%)	$7,669
2020	$371 (4.9%)	$7,129 (95.1%)	$7,499
2021	$845 (10.8%)	$6,948 (89.2%)	$7,793
2022	$840 (11.5%)	$6,435 (88.5%)	$7,274
2023	$1,412 (17.6%)	$6,603 (82.4%)	$8,015

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Gaither High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 262^nd of 734 High schools	Ranks 316^th of 792 High schools	4.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Gaither High School)	54	51	3%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	55	50	5%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Gaither High School)	54	47	7%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	53	49	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Gaither High School)	71	64	7%
End of Course Biology 1 (Hillsborough)	67	62	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Gaither High School)	72	68	4%
End of Course US History (Hillsborough)	73	65	8%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Gaither High School)	35	28	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Hillsborough)	63	60	3%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Gaither High School)	61	50	11%
End of Course Geometry (Hillsborough)	57	53	4%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2037	2123	4.2%
African American	212	173	18.4%
American Indian	6	2	66.7%
Asian	78	57	26.9%
Hispanic	897	1032	15.1%
Pacific Islander	3	1	66.7%
White	766	762	0.5%
Two or More Races	75	96	28%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	55.2%	51.9%	3.3%

Schools Near Gaither High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)					FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Gaither High School	Public	9-12	16200 N Dale Mabry Hwy	Tampa	33618	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 975-7340	2,123	96	22.2	51.9%	762 (35.9%)	173 (8.1%)	1,032 (48.6%)	57 (2.7%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	96 (4.5%)	49.8	305^th of 807 public high schools	62.2%		47.1	316^th of 792 public high schools	60.1%	11				48.0	54.0					26.0	54.0	66.0	76.0		$8,015	$1,412	$6,603
Steinbrenner High School	Public	9-12	5575 W Lutz Lake Fern Rd	Lutz	33558	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 792-5131	2,475	105	23.6	18.2%	1,539 (62.2%)	80 (3.2%)	560 (22.6%)	176 (7.1%)	4 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	114 (4.6%)	74.3	108^th of 807 public high schools	86.6%		81.5	62^nd of 792 public high schools	92.2%	46				74.0	76.0					52.0	67.0	87.0	82.0		$7,711	$1,266	$6,445
Brooks Debartolo Collegiate High School	Public, Charter	9-12	10948 N Central Ave	Tampa	33612	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 971-5600	602	31	19.4	17.8%	209 (34.7%)	118 (19.6%)	182 (30.2%)	57 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	32 (5.3%)	69.1	140^th of 807 public high schools	82.7%		72	119^th of 792 public high schools	85.0%	21				66.0	68.0					48.0	57.0	92.0	83.0		$8,279	$254	$8,025
Sports Leadership And Management Academy (Tampa)	Public, Charter	6-12	7116 Gunn Hwy	Tampa	33625	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	Yes	(813) 920-8802	434	13	33.3	60.6%	56 (12.9%)	27 (6.2%)	333 (76.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	16 (3.7%)	18.7	645^th of 807 public high schools	20.1%		22.3	583^rd of 792 public high schools	26.4%	62	41.0	36.0	40.0	36.0	32.0	36.0	26.0	29.0	14.0	38.0	30.0	41.0	44.0	40.0	$9,449	$1,234	$8,216
Victory Charter School Tampa 6-12	Public, Charter	6-12	13901 Sheldon Road	Tampa	33625	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(813) 551-2144	113	7	16.1	28.3%	17 (15.0%)	6 (5.3%)	80 (70.8%)	7 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	34.3	484^th of 807 public high schools	40.0%					(n/a)	45.0	41.0	23.0	41.0	27.0	30.0	5.0	24.0		81.0	39.0	45.0		59.0	$6,965	$00	$6,965
Building Construction Academy At Bowers Whitley	Public	9-12	13609 N 22nd St	Tampa	33613	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 558-1750	54	9	6.0	68.5%	7 (13.0%)	17 (31.5%)	29 (53.7%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.8	698^th of 807 public high schools	13.5%		7.8	674^th of 792 public high schools	14.9%	24				17.0	0.0										$39,784	$7,386	$32,399
West University Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	11602 N 15th St	Tampa	33612	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	Yes	(813) 971-5011	407	9	45.2	68.1%	53 (13.0%)	197 (48.4%)	145 (35.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.5%)	2.6	773^rd of 807 public high schools	4.2%		5.5	702^nd of 792 public high schools	11.4%	71				9.0	9.0					0.0	4.0	8.0	15.0		$7,245	$2,123	$5,122
Sickles High School	Public	9-12	7950 Gunn Hwy	Tampa	33626	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 631-4742	2,368	102	23.2	36.2%	1,022 (43.2%)	114 (4.8%)	924 (39.0%)	184 (7.8%)	3 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	117 (4.9%)	68.8	144^th of 807 public high schools	82.2%		68.9	138^th of 792 public high schools	82.6%	6				67.0	63.0					51.0	72.0	77.0	79.0		$7,816	$1,228	$6,588
North Tampa Success Center	Public	6-12	8602 N Armenia Ave	Tampa	33604	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 631-4426	140	8	17.5	83.6%	7 (5.0%)	86 (61.4%)	41 (29.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	1	806^th of 807 public high schools	0.1%		1.1	790^th of 792 public high schools	0.3%	16	15.0	8.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	9.0	9.0	0.0	0.0					9.0	$28,219	$3,411	$24,808
Chamberlain High School	Public	9-12	9401 N Boulevard	Tampa	33612	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 975-7677	1,262	65	19.5	72.2%	154 (12.2%)	372 (29.5%)	669 (53.0%)	25 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.2%)	39 (3.1%)	12.6	664^th of 807 public high schools	17.7%		14.4	643^rd of 792 public high schools	18.8%	21				19.0	23.0					18.0	19.0	39.0	45.0		$9,509	$2,287	$7,221

Frequently Asked Questions about Gaither High School

What district is Gaither High School in?

Hillsborough

What is the racial makeup of Gaither High School?

Students at Gaither High School are 49% Hispanic, 36% White, 8% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Gaither High School a good school?

Gaither High School ranks 305^th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Gaither High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,123 students attended Gaither High School.

What schools feed into Gaither High School?

Gaither High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Claywell Elementary School
Elementary : Essrig Elementary School
Elementary : Miles Elementary School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.