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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 32606

At a glance

Schools

4,874

Students

Top rankedHidden Oak Elementary School544^th of 2,242 Florida elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Santa Fe College Academy Of Science And Technology up 40 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Meadowbrook Elementary School 14.9 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

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Summary:

Zip code 32606 in Gainesville, Florida, is home to five schools within the Alachua County district, serving students from elementary through high school and representing a pocket of academic excellence within a district ranked in the 29th percentile statewide.

Despite the district's low overall ranking, the schools in 32606 consistently outperform state averages. The standout is Santa Fe College Academy of Science and Technology, a small magnet high school ranking in the 86th percentile statewide with exceptional test scores (84% proficient in 10th-grade ELA) and the lowest per-student spending ($7,429). Hidden Oak Elementary School is the top elementary performer, ranking in the 76th percentile and boasting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the zip code at just 17.6%. F. W. Buchholz High School, the largest school with 2,416 students, provides reliable, strong education with a 95.6% graduation rate and ranks in the 75th percentile. Meadowbrook Elementary School also performs well, ranking in the 71st percentile with low absenteeism. However, Fort Clarke Middle School is a clear outlier, ranking only in the 53rd percentile with the highest chronic absenteeism (37.7%) and the highest rate of economically disadvantaged students (51.31%), though it shows flashes of brilliance in specific subjects like Geometry.

A key takeaway is that spending does not equal success: the highest-spending school (Hidden Oak at $10,867 per student) is a top performer, but the lowest-spending school (Santa Fe College Academy at $7,429) is the highest-ranked overall, suggesting school culture and curriculum focus are more critical. The elementary schools provide a very solid foundation with test scores 10-20 percentage points above state averages, while the magnet school effect at Santa Fe College Academy demonstrates the power of specialized education for motivated students. Families in this zip code have access to schools that are significantly better than the district average, making it a desirable area for education.

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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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	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 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th 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	Total
F. W. Buchholz High School	Public, Magnet	8-12	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%)	61.5	209^th of 841 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
Fort Clarke Middle School	Public	6-8	9301 NW 23rd Ave	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	No	(352) 333-2800	840	42	20.0	51.3%	332 (39.5%)	263 (31.3%)	135 (16.1%)	44 (5.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (7.7%)	53.3	574^th of 1224 public middle schools	53.1%		54.8	524^th of 1205 public middle schools	56.5%	50				55.0	67.0	63.0						48.0	67.0	43.0		59.0	88.0	100.0			78.0
Hidden Oak Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 Fort Clarke Blvd	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	No	(352) 333-2801	694	46	15.0	35.0%	309 (44.5%)	144 (20.7%)	127 (18.3%)	65 (9.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (6.8%)	73.4	544^th of 2242 public elementary schools	75.7%		75.4	508^th of 2258 public elementary schools	77.5%	36	78.0	72.0	69.0						66.0	68.0	77.0				71.0
Meadowbrook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11525 NW 39th Ave	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	No	(352) 333-2828	791	53	14.9	33.8%	394 (49.8%)	143 (18.1%)	124 (15.7%)	68 (8.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	60 (7.6%)	69.2	650^th of 2242 public elementary schools	71.0%		71.1	607^th of 2258 public elementary schools	73.1%	43	64.0	71.0	68.0						70.0	77.0	65.0				69.0
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) 955-4444	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%)	72.8	116^th of 841 public high schools	86.2%		68.6	156^th of 844 public high schools	81.5%	40							81.0	84.0									68.0	67.0	83.0	80.0

Cities Near Zip Code 32606

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Gainesville	1.39 mi	51	249^th
Newberry	5.38 mi	4	165^th
Alachua	7.51 mi	6	152^nd
Archer	13.94 mi	1	145^th
Brooker	14.22 mi	1	325^th

See the top FL Florida cities

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.