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Santa Fe High School

Q: Is Santa Fe High School a good school?

Santa Fe High School ranks 383 rd of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

383^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 838 Florida High Schools

Better than 54% of Florida high schools

Summary

Santa Fe High School in Alachua, FL, serves 1,132 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Alachua district, a mid-sized school with a moderate level of economic diversity where about 42-47% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Santa Fe High School has a unique academic profile, with a notable strength in Geometry (62% proficiency, above state and district averages) but a significant weakness in Algebra 1 (only 24% proficiency, far below the district's 60% and state's 63%). This Algebra 1 gap is the largest performance difference compared to nearby schools, even lower than F. W. Buchholz High School (48%) and Newberry High School (40%). Chronic absenteeism is a persistent challenge, with a rate of 35.9% in 2023-2024, higher than the district (31.6%) and state (31.4%) averages, and notably above Santa Fe College Academy of Science and Technology (20.0%). Despite spending more per student ($9,352) than nearby high-performing schools like F. W. Buchholz High School ($8,066), academic outcomes are mixed, suggesting resources may not fully address engagement and foundational math challenges.

Graduation rates are a bright spot, hovering around 90% for the past five years and above the district average (87.7%), though slightly below the state (92.2%). Santa Fe consistently earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 50th-60th percentile statewide, making it one of the stronger schools in a district ranked in the 29th percentile. It outperforms Gainesville High School (50th percentile) and Newberry High School (45th percentile) in recent rankings, but is clearly outclassed by the district's magnet options like Santa Fe College Academy of Science and Technology (86th percentile). Addressing Algebra 1 proficiency and chronic absenteeism would likely have the biggest impact on improving overall performance.

1,132

Students ?

24.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

41.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

16213 NW Us Highway 441
Alachua, FL 32615

(386) 462-1125

District: Alachua

Feeder schools for Santa Fe High School:

Elementary:	Alachua Elementary School
	High Springs Community School
	W. W. Irby Elementary School
Middle:	A. L. Mebane Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.6%

African American:

19.3%

Hispanic:

13.7%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Santa Fe High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2016 → 54th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Florida median (54th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

!Algebra 1 scores 39 pts below the Florida average

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg63%

Florida avg64%

383^rd of 838

Florida public high schools ?

Top 46%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 35% (2016) to top 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 13High Schools in the Alachua

50^th of 70Alachua among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	46.8	383 of 838	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.9	324 of 844	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.0	362 of 807	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.3	252 of 792	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.5	346 of 774	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.7	297 of 746	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.4	364 of 734	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.4	264 of 716	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.4	233 of 714	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.7	240 of 693	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	65.4	179 of 687	73.9%	★★★★☆
2013	67.6	146 of 648	77.5%	★★★★☆
2012	56.2	185 of 606	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	65.5	217 of 622	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.8	211 of 620	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	68.9	166 of 587	71.7%	★★★★☆
2008	70.2	146 of 577	74.7%	★★★★☆
2007	71.3	143 of 563	74.6%	★★★★☆
2006	67.0	145 of 477	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	74.7	110 of 487	77.4%	★★★★☆
2004	77.3	91 of 484	81.2%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

US History70%-4 vs state

Biology 166%-8 vs state

Geometry62%+6 vs state

English Language Arts60%~ state avg

Algebra 124%-39 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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1★1

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, August 14, 2012

I am a SFHS alumni. I graduated in 2007. Ill start off by saying, if you want your child to learn something, I wouldn't recommend them attending SFHS. This schools main focus is on FCAT and FCAT alone. The school is so focused on making sure they rank high to have additional funding (which btw, it apparently never goes towards anything that has to do with students or teachers directly because teachers pay is still down, and student textbooks are falling apart). I remember being in language arts class hoping to read some of the classics you remember reading in high school, and instead only learning punctuation, EVERY DAY, for FCAT. There were many cliques within the school, even between teachers, parents, and staff. The students who's parents donated the most, or were friends or went to the same high school with said teacher, or staff member, even deans, would have favoritism over the rest. Its very unfair to other students who's parents ARENT brown nosing. Its a difficult environment to learn in, I felt as though i really only ever had maybe two or three teachers within four years time, who actually took the time to teach and help me learn. This is not a good school, and if you can afford it, there are other high school in the district that have much higher rating, such as BHS, and Eastside. Both have great academies, such as a cooking academy at Eastside. Close Quote

Schools Near Santa Fe High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)					FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC US History (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Santa Fe High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	16213 NW Us Highway 441	Alachua	32615	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(386) 462-1125	1,132	47	24.0	41.6%	652 (57.6%)	218 (19.3%)	155 (13.7%)	27 (2.4%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (6.6%)	46.8	383^rd of 838 public high schools	54.3%		50.9	324^th of 844 public high schools	61.6%	59				60.0	59.0					24.0	62.0	66.0	70.0
Santa Fe College High School Dual Enrollment	Public	11-12	3000 NW 83rd St	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	No	(352) 395-5490	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Santa Fe College Academy Of Science And Technology	Public, Charter	9-12	3000 NW 83rd St	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(352) 955-5493	133	5	26.6	39.8%	51 (38.3%)	42 (31.6%)	18 (13.5%)	11 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (8.3%)	72.7	117^th of 838 public high schools	86.0%		68.6	156^th of 844 public high schools	81.5%	39				81.0	84.0					68.0	67.0	83.0	80.0
F. W. Buchholz High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	5510 NW 27th Ave	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 955-6702	2,416	88	27.5	34.5%	1,058 (43.8%)	586 (24.3%)	403 (16.7%)	152 (6.3%)	3 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	210 (8.7%)	61.4	209^th of 838 public high schools	75.1%		60.3	218^th of 844 public high schools	74.2%	9				70.0	70.0					48.0	60.0	77.0	83.0
Siatech Mycroschool Inc.	Public, Charter	8-12	7022 NW 10th Pl	Gainesville	32605	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	No	(352) 333-7952	97	1	97.0	55.7%	17 (17.5%)	55 (56.7%)	18 (18.6%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.2%)	4.5	743^rd of 838 public high schools	11.3%		1.6	822^nd of 844 public high schools	2.6%	79					20.0						0.0	0.0	35.0
Newberry High School	Public, Magnet	8-12	400 SW 258th St	Newberry	32669	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 472-1101	791	36	21.7	47.2%	387 (48.9%)	221 (27.9%)	106 (13.4%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (8.5%)	41	459^th of 838 public high schools	45.2%		50.3	330^th of 844 public high schools	60.9%	129				56.0	63.0					40.0	45.0	68.0	69.0
Fort White High School	Public	6-12	17828 SW State Road 47	Fort White	32038	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	No	(386) 319-7272	1,101	65	16.9	46.3%	792 (71.9%)	95 (8.6%)	126 (11.4%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (7.7%)	42.4	439^th of 838 public high schools	47.6%		44.8	398^th of 844 public high schools	52.8%	41	52.0	59.0	59.0	51.0	61.0	45.0	61.0	24.0	74.0	42.0	60.0	77.0	72.0	66.0	$11,082	$949	$10,133
Gainesville High School	Public, Magnet	8-12	1900 NW 13th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 955-6707	1,825	74	24.5	45.0%	590 (32.3%)	601 (32.9%)	401 (22.0%)	93 (5.1%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	136 (7.5%)	44.3	419^th of 838 public high schools	50.0%		41.5	444^th of 844 public high schools	47.4%	25				57.0	56.0					37.0	57.0	76.0	64.0
A.Quinn Jones Center	Public	6-12	1108 NW 7th Ave	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6840	95	14	6.6	84.2%	9 (9.5%)	77 (81.1%)	4 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.3%)	0.9	835^th of 838 public high schools	0.4%		0.5	843^rd of 844 public high schools	0.1%	8			19.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	6.0	13.0	4.0				8.0
Alachua Eschool (Virtual Franchise)	Public, Virtual	6-12	1108 NW 7th Ave	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	Yes	No	(352) 955-6840	178	2	118.6	45.5%	86 (48.3%)	48 (27.0%)	23 (12.9%)	8 (4.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.7%)	10.2	704^th of 838 public high schools	16.0%		33.3	546^th of 844 public high schools	35.3%	158		58.0	35.0	31.0	27.0		33.0	20.0	19.0	26.0	7.0	39.0	53.0	50.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Fe High School

What district is Santa Fe High School in?

Alachua

How many students attend Santa Fe High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,132 students attended Santa Fe High School.

Is Santa Fe High School a good school?

Santa Fe High School ranks 383^rd of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Santa Fe High School?

Students at Santa Fe High School are 58% White, 19% African American, 14% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Santa Fe High School?

Santa Fe High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alachua Elementary School
Elementary : High Springs Community School
Elementary : W. W. Irby Elementary School
Middle : A. L. Mebane Middle School

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

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.