Schools in St. Petersburg, Florida

From Pinellas County's award-winning public schools to waterfront university campuses, St. Petersburg supports a full spectrum of educational opportunity.

St. Petersburg's educational landscape spans Pinellas County's public K-12 system, a robust set of magnet and fundamental program options, career and technical education, and two waterfront higher-education institutions in the heart of the city. The city is served by Pinellas County Schools, the seventh-largest school district in Florida, which documented a record graduation rate of 93.4% for the 2024-25 school year. Higher education is anchored by the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus in downtown and Eckerd College, a private liberal arts institution accredited by SACSCOC, situated along Boca Ciega Bay.

Mayor Kenneth T. Welch's administration formally identifies Education and Youth Opportunities as one of five Pillars for Progress guiding city policy, as stated on the City of St. Petersburg's Vision page. St. Petersburg College, a public institution with multiple campuses in the city, operates as a dual enrollment partner for Pinellas County high school students, with tuition and textbook costs covered by the district.

School district

Pinellas County Schools (PCS) governs K-12 public education in St. Petersburg and throughout Pinellas County. The district is led by an elected School Board and, as documented on the PCS district overview page, operates approximately 150 schools encompassing neighborhood schools, magnet programs, fundamental schools, career academies, adult education centers, and a virtual school program. PCS is ranked the seventh-largest school district in Florida. For the 2024-25 school year, the Florida Department of Education assigned the district an 'A' rating for the second consecutive year, as reported on the PCS home page.

The district offers more than 70 magnet, fundamental, and career programs available through a District Application Program process, as documented on the PCS District Application Programs page. Advanced academic pathways include International Baccalaureate, Cambridge AICE, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment coursework; PCS high school students collectively earned over 11,500 dual-enrollment college credits in 2024-25, with tuition and textbook costs paid by the district through its partnership with St. Petersburg College.

School district
Pinellas County Schools
Pinellas County Schools, 2024-25
Schools in district
~150
PCS District Overview, 2024-25
State district ranking
7th largest in Florida
PCS District Overview, 2024-25
FDOE district grade
A (2nd consecutive year)
PCS Home Page, 2024-25
Graduation rate
93.4%
PCS Enroll Page, 2024-25
Dual enrollment credits earned
11,500+
PCS Florida's Future, 2024-25

Schools in Schools in St. Petersburg, Florida

Public High School

St. Petersburg High School

St. Petersburg ·Oldest in district

St. Petersburg High School is one of the oldest public high schools operating within Pinellas County Schools and carries the motto branded on its official PCSB site as 'The First, The Best.' The school serves grades 9-12 within the Pinellas County Schools district. As part of PCS, students have access to Advanced Placement coursework and dual enrollment through St. Petersburg College, with district-covered tuition and textbook costs.

More on St. Petersburg High School
Magnet School

Pinellas County Schools — District Application Programs

Countywide ·Countywide program network

Pinellas County Schools administers more than 70 magnet, fundamental, and career programs available to all PCS students through a District Application Program process, as documented on the PCS DAP page. Fundamental programs emphasize structured academics and parental involvement, while magnet programs organize instruction around specialized themes. These programs are distributed across schools throughout Pinellas County, including multiple sites within St. Petersburg.

More on Pinellas County Schools — District Application Programs
Public Elementary School

Shore Acres Elementary School

Shore Acres ·Pinellas County Schools

Shore Acres Elementary School operates within the Pinellas County Schools district serving grades K-5 in the Shore Acres neighborhood of St. Petersburg. The school's performing arts programs were featured at the Mayor's 2025 State of the City address, as documented in the City of St. Petersburg's official event release, reflecting the school's role in the city's civic and cultural programming for youth.

More on Shore Acres Elementary School
Public High School

Pinellas County Schools — Advanced Academic Pathways

Countywide ·IB, AICE, AP, Dual Enrollment

Pinellas County Schools offers advanced academic pathways across its high schools in St. Petersburg and throughout the county, including International Baccalaureate, Cambridge AICE, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment programs, as documented on the PCS Florida's Future page. In the 2024-25 school year, PCS high school students earned more than 11,500 dual-enrollment college credits, with tuition and textbook costs paid by the district through its partnership with St. Petersburg College.

More on Pinellas County Schools — Advanced Academic Pathways
State College

St. Petersburg College

St. Petersburg ·Public dual enrollment partner

St. Petersburg College is a public institution operating multiple campuses in St. Petersburg and serves as the designated dual enrollment partner for Pinellas County Schools. Per PCSB policy documented on the district's dual enrollment page, tuition and textbook costs for dual enrollment courses are paid by the district at no cost to students. The college provides college-credit pathways accessible to PCS high school students alongside its full degree and certificate programs.

More on St. Petersburg College
University (regional)

University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Downtown St. Petersburg ·Waterfront downtown campus

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus is a waterfront institution situated in downtown St. Petersburg. As described on the USF St. Petersburg admissions website, the campus offers more than 50 bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs. Its downtown location places it in proximity to the city's civic and cultural institutions, and it forms part of the higher-education infrastructure accessible to residents of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.

More on University of South Florida St. Petersburg
University

Eckerd College

Southwest St. Petersburg ·SACSCOC-accredited, private liberal arts

Eckerd College is a private liberal arts institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), operating a 188-acre waterfront campus along Boca Ciega Bay at 4200 54th Avenue South in St. Petersburg. According to the Colleges That Change Lives organization, the college enrolls approximately 2,017 students drawn from 48 U.S. states and territories and 39 countries, reflecting a nationally and internationally diverse student population.

More on Eckerd College
Vocational/Technical

Pinellas County Schools — Dual Enrollment at St. Petersburg College

Countywide ·District-funded college access

Through a formal partnership between Pinellas County Schools and St. Petersburg College, eligible PCS high school students may earn college credits through dual enrollment while still enrolled in grades K-12. As documented on the PCS dual enrollment page, the district covers tuition and textbook costs at no charge to students. In 2024-25, PCS students collectively earned over 11,500 dual-enrollment credits districtwide, according to the PCS Florida's Future publication.

More on Pinellas County Schools — Dual Enrollment at St. Petersburg College

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Used for: Total population (260,646), median age (43.1), median household income ($73,118), median home value ($331,500), median gross rent ($1,542), housing units, owner/renter occupancy rates, poverty rate (11.7%), unemployment rate (4.9%), labor force participation (72.8%), educational attainment (26.1% bachelor's or higher)
  2. History of St. Pete — City of St. Petersburg Official Website https://www.stpete.org/visitors/history.php Used for: 1892 incorporation, 1903 reincorporation as city, 1914 spring training and commercial aviation events (Tony Jannus/Al Lang), 1924 Gandy Bridge opening, city founding narrative
  3. Saint Petersburg, Florida — Britannica https://www.britannica.com/place/Saint-Petersburg-Florida Used for: Settlement history beginning 1840s, John C. Williams 1875 land purchase, Peter Demens railroad 1888, co-founding narrative, geographic description (southern tip of Pinellas Peninsula, ~20 miles southwest of Tampa)
  4. St. Petersburg, Florida — Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Preserve America Community Profile https://www.achp.gov/preserve-america/community/st-petersburg-florida Used for: Formal geographic description (Pinellas peninsula between Tampa Bay and Gulf of Mexico), 1892 formal incorporation, Preserve America Community recognition, '360 days of sunshine' city nickname
  5. Pinellas County Schools — District Overview https://www.pcsb.org/pcsb Used for: Seventh largest school district in Florida, 150 schools including magnets, career academies, adult education centers, and virtual school program
  6. Pinellas County Schools — Home Page https://www.pcsb.org/ Used for: Florida Department of Education 'A' district rating for second consecutive year (2024-25), record high graduation rate for 2024-25 school year
  7. Enroll — Pinellas County Schools https://www.pcsb.org/header-utility-schools-families2/enroll Used for: Record graduation rate of 93.4% for 2024-25 school year, rising nearly two percentage points above prior year
  8. District Application Programs — Pinellas County Schools https://www.pcsb.org/dap Used for: More than 70 magnet, fundamental, and career programs available to PCS students; description of Fundamental and Magnet program types
  9. Florida's Future — Pinellas County Schools https://www.pcsb.org/departments/district-services/strategic-communications/floridasfuture Used for: Advanced academic pathways (IB, AICE, AP, Dual Enrollment); PCS high school students earned over 11,500 dual-enrollment college credits in 2024-25
  10. Dual Enrollment — Pinellas County Schools https://www.pcsb.org/learning/advanced-studies-and-academic-excellence/dual-enrollment Used for: St. Petersburg College dual enrollment partnership; tuition and textbook costs paid by the district at no cost to students
  11. St. Petersburg High School — Pinellas County Schools https://stpete-hs.pcsb.org/ Used for: St. Petersburg High School 'The First, The Best' branding and identity as one of the oldest high schools in the district
  12. Admissions — USF St. Petersburg Campus https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/admissions/index.aspx Used for: USF St. Petersburg as a waterfront campus in downtown offering 50+ bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs
  13. Eckerd College — Colleges That Change Lives https://ctcl.org/eckerd-college/ Used for: Eckerd College enrollment (2,017 students from 48 U.S. states/territories and 39 countries), location at 4200 54th Avenue South, St. Petersburg
  14. About Us — Eckerd College https://www.eckerd.edu/about/ Used for: Eckerd College accreditation by SACSCOC, 188-acre waterfront campus along Boca Ciega Bay, St. Petersburg location
  15. Mayor's Office — City of St. Petersburg https://www.stpete.org/government/mayor___city_council/mayor_s_office/index.php Used for: Annual Progress Reports (2022-2025), State of the City addresses, mayor's administrative role
  16. City Council — City of St. Petersburg https://www.stpete.org/government/mayor___city_council/city_council/index.php Used for: City Council meeting schedule (three times monthly), City Hall address (175 Fifth St. N.), four-year terms with two-term limit
  17. St. Petersburg, Florida — Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/St._Petersburg,_Florida Used for: Current mayor Kenneth Welch (nonpartisan listing, Democratic affiliation), assumed office 2022, as of March 2026
  18. 2026 Elections — City of St. Petersburg https://www.stpete.org/government/elections/candidate_rules.php Used for: 2026 mayoral and city council elections schedule; four-year terms beginning January 2027
  19. Mayor Ken Welch 2025 State of the City Address — City of St. Petersburg https://www.stpete.org/news_detail_T30_R1327.php Used for: Habitat for Humanity affordable housing partnerships (The Grove 10 units, Pelican Place 36 units, Shell Dash 10 units); Poet Laureate Gloria Muñoz; Historic Bethel AME Church; Shore Acres Elementary performing arts
  20. Mayor Ken Welch 2026 State of the City Address — City of St. Petersburg https://www.stpete.org/news_detail_T30_R1598.php Used for: 434 multifamily affordable/workforce units completed in 2025; 189 affordable townhomes in development; Mayor's Six I's principles and five Pillars for Progress
  21. Mayor Ken Welch's Vision — City of St. Petersburg https://www.stpete.org/government/mayor___city_council/mayor_s_office/vision.php Used for: Five Pillars for Progress including Education and Youth Opportunities; Mayor's Opportunity Agenda for youth empowerment
  22. Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment — City of St. Petersburg https://www.stpete.org/residents/current_projects/tropicana_field_site.php Used for: Hurricane Milton roof damage to Tropicana Field; city obligation to repair stadium; Rays playing at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa; repair timeline
  23. St. Petersburg City Council officially terminates Rays' stadium agreement — WUSF https://www.wusf.org/sports/2025-07-24/st-petersburg-city-council-terminates-tropicana-field-redevelopment-agreement Used for: City Council termination of Tampa Bay Rays redevelopment agreement July 2025; Rays contracted through 2028; city pursuing Gas Plant District redevelopment without Rays
  24. St. Petersburg commits additional funds toward Tropicana Field repairs — WUSF https://www.wusf.org/politics-issues/2025-06-06/st-petersburg-additional-funds-tropicana-field-repairs Used for: City's total repair commitment reaching $38.5 million by June 2025; Rays contracted to play at Tropicana Field through 2028 season
  25. Deadline to propose redeveloping the Tropicana Field site is pushed back — WUSF https://www.wusf.org/economy-business/2025-11-12/deadline-to-propose-redeveloping-tropicana-field-site-pushed-back Used for: Mayor Welch's delay of 30-day public notice for redevelopment proposals; 86-acre site description; several prominent developers expressing interest
  26. Fast Facts About Pinellas County — Pinellas County Government https://pinellas.gov/about-pinellas-facts/ Used for: Pinellas County as most densely populated county in Florida (3,425 people per square mile); Pinellas County established January 1, 1912
Last updated: April 30, 2026