Public Schools — St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg's 49 public schools enroll 29,737 students within Pinellas County Schools, a Florida 'A'-rated district for the second consecutive year as of 2024–25.

Public Schools in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg's public schools operate as part of Pinellas County Schools (PCS), the seventh largest school district in Florida, which administers approximately 150 schools across the county including magnet programs, career academies, adult education centers, and a virtual school. As of 2026, 49 public schools operate within St. Petersburg, enrolling 29,737 students. The district encompasses traditional neighborhood schools alongside a wide array of specialized programs made available through district-wide application, reflecting an organizational structure that serves both the city's residents and students from across Pinellas County who qualify for choice placements.

District Performance and Graduation Rates

For the 2024–25 school year, Pinellas County Schools received an 'A' grade from the Florida Department of Education — the second consecutive year at that rating, as confirmed by Fox 13 News and WTSP reporting on the official state release. The St. Pete Catalyst further reported that Pinellas County Schools outpaced state averages in testing results for that period.

Graduation outcomes have also trended upward. The Pinellas County Schools enrollment and graduation page documents a district-wide graduation rate of 93.4% for 2024–25, described as a record high and representing a rise of nearly two percentage points above the prior year. These figures apply to the district as a whole, within which St. Petersburg's 49 public schools are a major component.

Public Schools in St. Petersburg
49
Public School Review, 2026
Total Enrollment (St. Petersburg)
29,737
Public School Review, 2026
Florida DOE District Grade
A (2024–25)
Pinellas County Schools / Fox 13, 2025
Graduation Rate (District)
93.4%
Pinellas County Schools, 2025
Consecutive 'A' Years
2
WTSP / PCSB, 2025
Dual Enrollment Credits Earned
11,500+
Pinellas County Schools, 2024–25

Notable Public Schools

St. Petersburg High School, whose official site carries the branding The First, The Best, is identified by Pinellas County Schools as one of the oldest public high schools in the district. The school serves grades 9 through 12 and enrolls approximately 1,700 to 2,000 students, according to school information published on its PCSB site. As of the 2025–2026 school year, Darlene Lebo serves as principal, a placement confirmed by the official PCSB staff directory and corroborated by Tampa Bay Newspapers. The school's founding and continued operation are also documented in its Wikipedia entry, which describes its history within the broader development of public education in Pinellas County.

St. Petersburg Collegiate High School, a smaller specialized institution serving grades 10 through 12, enrolls approximately 220 students. The school operates as a partnership model in which high school students simultaneously pursue college-level coursework, making it distinct from a traditional neighborhood high school within the same public system. Pinellas Technical College's St. Petersburg Campus further extends the public educational landscape, offering career and technical education programs under the PCS umbrella.

Specialized Programs and Academic Pathways

Pinellas County Schools administers more than 70 magnet, fundamental, and career programs available to students across the district through a formal application process. Fundamental programs emphasize a structured, back-to-basics academic approach, while magnet programs concentrate on specific themes such as the arts, science, or technology. Students residing in St. Petersburg may apply to any of these programs regardless of their neighborhood school assignment.

At the high school level, advanced academic pathways include the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, and dual enrollment at St. Petersburg College. Per Pinellas County Schools' Florida's Future page, PCS high school students earned more than 11,500 dual enrollment college credits during 2024–25. The district's dual enrollment policy covers tuition and textbook costs at St. Petersburg College at no charge to students, a benefit applicable to qualifying Pinellas County high school students.

Referendum Funding Approved November 2024

On November 5, 2024, Pinellas County voters approved a renewal of the Pinellas County Schools Referendum, establishing a one-mill ad valorem property tax effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029. The St. Pete Catalyst reported on the referendum's approval and its four-year funding cycle. The approved allocation directs 70% of referendum revenues to teacher salaries, 15% to support staff salaries, and the remainder to arts, music, reading, and technology programs.

For teachers, the referendum provides a minimum annual salary increase of $11,081, as documented on the PCSB referendum detail page. The measure directly affects staffing conditions at all public schools within the district, including the 49 schools operating in St. Petersburg. The renewal follows an earlier referendum cycle and continues a funding mechanism the district has relied upon to supplement state and local allocations for instructional and operational priorities.

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: May 1, 2026