Is Santa Fe High School a good school?

Santa Fe High School ranks 362 nd of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Santa Fe High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,151 students attended Santa Fe High School.

What is the racial makeup of Santa Fe High School?

Students at Santa Fe High School are 58% White, 19% African American, 15% Hispanic, 6% 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

Santa Fe High School

Summary:

Santa Fe High School is a public high school located in Alachua, Florida, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 1,154. The school is part of the Alachua school district, which is ranked 43 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Santa Fe High School has maintained a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, it faces several challenges. The school has a higher percentage of white students (58.49%) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. However, Santa Fe High School has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 15.2% in 2019-2020 to 35.5% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school's test scores, particularly in Algebra 1 and Geometry, are consistently lower than the state and district averages, indicating potential areas for improvement.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Gainesville High School and Newberry High School, Santa Fe High School generally underperforms in terms of test scores and graduation rates, despite having a similar student population and district context. The school's racial makeup and growing population of students from lower-income households, with the free and reduced-lunch rate increasing from 38.67% in 2020-2021 to 46.88% in 2022-2023, may be contributing factors to these challenges. Addressing these issues and implementing targeted interventions could help Santa Fe High School improve its academic outcomes and better serve its student population.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

16213 NW Us Highway 441
Alachua, FL 32615

(386) 462-1125

District: Alachua

SchoolDigger Rank:
362^nd of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,167

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

Student/teacher ratio: 26.2

Number of students: 1,151

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.9%

African American:

18.8%

Hispanic:

14.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.7%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Santa Fe High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Santa Fe High School ranks better than 55.1% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 5^th among 12 ranked high schools in the Alachua School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.02. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Santa Fe 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 Student population at Santa Fe High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (57.9%), African American (18.8%), Hispanic (14.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Santa Fe High School is 26.2, which is the 5^th best among 12 high schools in the Alachua School District. (See more...)

Compare Santa Fe High School employs 43.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Santa Fe High School is $8,167, which is the 8^th highest among 12 high schools in the Alachua School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Fe High School 362^nd of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Santa Fe High School in the ranking list.)

Alachua:

SchoolDigger ranks Alachua 43^rd of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Santa Fe High School.

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Rank History for Santa Fe High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	77.32	91^st	484	81.2%
2005	74.66	110^th	487	77.4%
2006	67.04	145^th	477	69.6%
2007	71.33	143^rd	563	74.6%
2008	70.21	146^th	577	74.7%
2009	68.91	166^th	587	71.7%
2010	65.80	211^th	620	66.0%
2011	65.51	217^th	622	65.1%
2012	56.23	185^th	606	69.5%
2013	67.63	146^th	648	77.5%
2014	65.44	179^th	687	73.9%
2016	53.67	240^th	693	65.4%
2017	55.41	233^rd	714	67.4%
2018	51.40	264^th	716	63.1%
2019	42.44	364^th	734	50.4%
2021	46.67	297^th	746	60.2%
2022	43.48	346^th	774	55.3%
2023	53.26	252^nd	792	68.2%
2024	45.02	362^nd	807	55.1%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

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

Enrollment information for Santa Fe High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	674	287	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	969
1989	691	261	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	958
1990	638	247	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	890
1991	693	265	4	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	970
1992	719	260	4	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	991
1993	734	263	4	6	6	n/a	n/a	0	1013
1994	771	239	4	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	1019
1995	829	234	6	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	1079
1996	829	234	6	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	1079
1997	885	267	7	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	1178
1998	944	255	8	21	2	n/a	n/a	0	1230
1999	941	252	7	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	1226
2000	929	250	4	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	1225
2001	923	216	6	40	3	n/a	n/a	0	1188
2002	931	214	10	51	4	n/a	n/a	0	1210
2003	931	214	10	51	4	n/a	n/a	0	1210
2004	927	212	9	62	4	n/a	n/a	0	1214
2005	979	249	9	59	3	n/a	n/a	0	1299
2006	971	240	10	55	4	n/a	n/a	0	1280
2007	930	226	10	62	4	n/a	n/a	27	1259
2008	881	225	10	77	3	n/a	n/a	28	1224
2009	835	226	9	74	2	n/a	n/a	30	1176
2010	787	229	8	69	2	n/a	n/a	34	1129
2011	763	220	0	100	2	0	36	0	1121
2012	747	226	12	93	2	0	25	0	1105
2013	734	199	12	93	1	2	28	0	1069
2014	798	203	14	84	0	1	35	0	1135
2015	809	217	12	90	0	0	45	0	1173
2016	788	224	10	88	1	1	42	0	1154
2017	777	229	8	93	4	0	38	0	1149
2018	744	233	10	93	5	0	55	0	1140
2019	704	218	15	85	3	1	60	0	1086
2020	704	229	14	103	3	1	64	0	1118
2021	653	214	14	109	2	1	57	0	1050
2022	659	230	16	143	3	0	61	0	1112
2023	675	232	17	160	5	0	65	0	1154
2024	666	216	24	168	5	0	72	0	1151

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 Santa Fe High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	969	55.0	17.6	23.4
1989	958	51.0	18.7	20.7
1990	890	51.0	17.4	21.3
1991	970	51.0	19.0	23
1992	991	53.0	18.6	22.5
1993	1013	56.0	18.1	19.8
1994	1019	53.0	19.2	22
1995	1079	56.0	19.3	19.1
1996	1079	56.0	19.3	19.1
1997	1178	53.0	22.2	20.2
1998	1230	56.0	22.0	18.5
1999	1226	58.0	21.1	22.2
2000	1225	57.0	21.5	19.5
2001	1188	54.0	22.0	18.7
2002	1210	47.0	25.7	25.4
2003	1210	47.0	25.7	25.4
2004	1214	50.0	24.3	24.8
2005	1299	54.0	24.1	23.9
2006	1280	56.0	22.9	26.3
2007	1259	55.0	22.9	26.3
2008	1224	50.5	24.2	24.2
2009	1176	65.6	21.4	28
2010	1129	49.0	23.0	32.9
2011	1121	44.6	25.1	33.2
2012	1105	43.8	25.2	32.4
2013	1069	45.0	23.7	34.8
2014	1135	46.0	24.6	40.4
2015	1173	49.0	23.9	40.1
2016	1154	48.0	24.0	38.1
2017	1149	36.0	31.9	36.9
2018	1140	48.0	23.7	46.8
2019	1086	40.4	26.8	33.2
2020	1118	43.4	25.7	36.1
2021	1050	39.0	26.9	38.7
2022	1112	40.4	27.5	41.8
2023	1154	n/a	n/a	46.9
2024	1151	43.8	26.2	46.7

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 Santa Fe High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	969	55.0	17.6	23.4
1989	958	51.0	18.7	20.7
1990	890	51.0	17.4	21.3
1991	970	51.0	19.0	23
1992	991	53.0	18.6	22.5
1993	1013	56.0	18.1	19.8
1994	1019	53.0	19.2	22
1995	1079	56.0	19.3	19.1
1996	1079	56.0	19.3	19.1
1997	1178	53.0	22.2	20.2
1998	1230	56.0	22.0	18.5
1999	1226	58.0	21.1	22.2
2000	1225	57.0	21.5	19.5
2001	1188	54.0	22.0	18.7
2002	1210	47.0	25.7	25.4
2003	1210	47.0	25.7	25.4
2004	1214	50.0	24.3	24.8
2005	1299	54.0	24.1	23.9
2006	1280	56.0	22.9	26.3
2007	1259	55.0	22.9	26.3
2008	1224	50.5	24.2	24.2
2009	1176	65.6	21.4	28
2010	1129	49.0	23.0	32.9
2011	1121	44.6	25.1	33.2
2012	1105	43.8	25.2	32.4
2013	1069	45.0	23.7	34.8
2014	1135	46.0	24.6	40.4
2015	1173	49.0	23.9	40.1
2016	1154	48.0	24.0	38.1
2017	1149	36.0	31.9	36.9
2018	1140	48.0	23.7	46.8
2019	1086	40.4	26.8	33.2
2020	1118	43.4	25.7	36.1
2021	1050	39.0	26.9	38.7
2022	1112	40.4	27.5	41.8
2023	1154	n/a	n/a	46.9
2024	1151	43.8	26.2	46.7

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 Santa Fe High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$303 (4.7%)	$6,155 (95.3%)	$6,458
2019	$300 (4.2%)	$6,841 (95.8%)	$7,141
2020	$302 (4.0%)	$7,256 (96.0%)	$7,558
2021	$593 (7.2%)	$7,613 (92.8%)	$8,208
2022	$665 (8.2%)	$7,419 (91.8%)	$8,085
2023	$649 (7.9%)	$7,519 (92.1%)	$8,167

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Santa Fe 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 364^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 252^nd of 792 High schools	17.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Santa Fe High School)	55	53	2%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Alachua)	60	57	3%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Santa Fe High School)	46	41	5%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Alachua)	55	52	3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Santa Fe High School)	56	61	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Alachua)	66	63	3%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Santa Fe High School)	75	64	11%
End of Course US History (Alachua)	71	63	8%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Santa Fe High School)	29	25	4%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Alachua)	56	55	1%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Santa Fe High School)	50	48	2%
End of Course Geometry (Alachua)	49	51	2%
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	1086	1154	6.3%
African American	218	232	6.4%
American Indian	3	5	66.7%
Asian	15	17	13.3%
Hispanic	85	160	88.2%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	704	675	4.1%
Two or More Races	60	65	8.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.2%	46.9%	13.6%

Schools Near Santa Fe 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
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	1,151	44	26.2	46.7%	666 (57.9%)	216 (18.8%)	168 (14.6%)	24 (2.1%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (6.3%)	45	362^nd of 807 public high schools	55.1%		53.3	252^nd of 792 public high schools	68.2%	110				57.0	54.0					31.0	39.0	64.0	59.0		$8,167	$649	$7,519
Santa Fe College High School Dual Enrollment	Public	11-12	3000 NW 83rd Street	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 Technology0922	Public, Charter	9-12	3000 NW 83rd Street G Building	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(352) 955-5493	73	0		42.5%	31 (42.5%)	26 (35.6%)	6 (8.2%)	5 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.8%)								(n/a)
Santa Fe College Academy Of Science And Technology9924	Public, Charter	9-12	3000 NW 83rd Street G Building	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(352) 955-5493	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
F. W. Buchholz High School	Public, Magnet	6-12	5510 NW 27th Ave	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 955-6702	2,444	90	27.0	36.3%	1,105 (45.2%)	572 (23.4%)	350 (14.3%)	205 (8.4%)	3 (0.1%)	6 (0.2%)	203 (8.3%)	62.8	191^st of 807 public high schools	76.3%		69.4	135^th of 792 public high schools	83.0%	56				62.0	64.0					38.0	57.0	78.0	77.0		$7,217	$475	$6,742
Siatech Mycroschool Inc.	Public, Charter	9-12	7022 NW 10th Pl	Gainesville	32605	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	No	(352) 333-7952	154	1	154.0	61.7%	23 (14.9%)	90 (58.4%)	33 (21.4%)	3 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.6%)	9.1	679^th of 807 public high schools	15.9%					(n/a)					0.0							45.0			$7,820	$1,161	$6,659
Newberry High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	400 SW 258th St	Newberry	32669	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 472-1101	750	28	26.5	49.5%	386 (51.5%)	202 (26.9%)	95 (12.7%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (7.7%)	53.4	264^th of 807 public high schools	67.3%		61.1	192^nd of 792 public high schools	75.8%	72				49.0	57.0					53.0	46.0	71.0	77.0		$8,898	$718	$8,179
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	1,117	65	17.1	58.8%	799 (71.5%)	104 (9.3%)	139 (12.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (6.5%)	42.3	397^th of 807 public high schools	50.8%		36.7	425^th of 792 public high schools	46.3%	28	49.0	47.0	52.0	51.0	47.0	36.0	55.0	38.0	70.0	34.0	54.0	61.0	62.0	68.0	$10,625	$1,934	$8,691
Gainesville High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	1900 NW 13th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 955-6707	1,791	73	24.5	46.7%	639 (35.7%)	555 (31.0%)	370 (20.7%)	91 (5.1%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	131 (7.3%)	41.4	404^th of 807 public high schools	49.9%		46.8	321^st of 792 public high schools	59.5%	83				50.0	47.0					23.0	53.0	65.0	62.0		$8,250	$673	$7,577
A.Quinn Jones Center	Public	6-12	1108 NW 7th Ave	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6840	91	14	6.3	91.2%	10 (11.0%)	75 (82.4%)	3 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.3%)	2.2	785^th of 807 public high schools	2.7%		6.7	684^th of 792 public high schools	13.6%	101	21.0	0.0	10.0	0.0	7.0	0.0	11.0	4.0	11.0	0.0		18.0	8.0		$47,419	$7,429	$39,991

Santa Fe High School

Alachua:

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Rank History for Santa Fe High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Santa Fe High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Santa Fe High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Santa Fe High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Santa Fe High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Santa Fe High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Santa Fe High School