King High School

6815 North 56th Street

School District

Hillsborough
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 25, 2025

We sent five foreign exchange students to attend King High School. The teachers at the school paid great attention to our students and made them feel very welcome. The students were friendly with our students. Several participated in the soccer program and made great friends. Another student wanted to learn the violin. The orchestra teacher took our student under his wing and after almost a year, the student could carry a decent tune. The King administration also was fully supportive. Even though our students were enrolled as Juniors (though they were Seniors in their home countries) allowed them to participate in the Senior field trip to Universal Studios. It is a mustered to me why some people think this is a poor school. Maybe it is racism as a large portion of the student body are minorities.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2024

My son attends the IB program within King HS. The IB program is advanced academics and extremely difficult due to providing an excel related academic environment which allows HS students to get 1-2 years of college credits before they graduate HS. The teachers are great and they do a nice job of teaching leadership, where the older students mentor the younger students to help prepare them for the rigorous academic environment, while encouraging them to take advantage of the sports and club activities available. I couldn’t be happier with the challenging academics with a multi-racial and cultural environment. I do not know about the culture/academics with the regular King curriculum. They should have separate entires here.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2022

This is a terrible school all around with staff, administration and teachers that DO NOT care about the students. The administration ignores emails, messages and requests for meetings with parents. Their voice-message mailboxes are constantly "full" because they don't do their jobs. The teachers try their hardest to sabotage and get their students to stumble and fall academically instead of supporting their students. The IB program is a disgrace since students are only treated as statistics and not as individuals. Teachers do not even know the subject matter that they are teaching and cannot answer basic student questions. How can a school exist like this? How can taxpayer money be used so carelessly?
Submitted by student on October 13, 2017

Because is good and the teachers is good
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2017

My was robbed and almost shot at that school. We had to have him and his brother transferred out. They were only attendingt That school for a few months. If you love your children DO NOT send them there.A mothers heart is for all children not just her own
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2016

King has excellent academics, establishing some awesome coaches and athletic program this year, top #1 band, and as always some great clubs! The administration and guidance are professionals. Teachers are accomplished and respectful. Our son attends IB, plays football, serves on National Honor Society, PRIDE, and manages his time to participate in the #1 event Relay For Life to help community. Parents are looking forward to serving for another school year. Its alot of fun! Overall a "great" school!
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2016

Although king high school has a good IB program it is not worth loosing your child over. My daughter was in the program and I pulled her out earlier this year. My daughter was cutting herself and when I brought it to the attention of Mrs. Nishira Mitchell she informed me she "was aware this was happening." So this went on all year and she never once thought to inform the parents so we could address it with our children. It begins in the home and my daughter threatened suicide and had been cutting herself for quite sometime. I think it is beyond appalling that an assistant principle who is there to help protect the children knew that cutting was taking place amongst multiple children and nothing was said to anyone and she had the nerve to acknowledge she knew this was taken place. The school should be very blessed a law suit didn't take place. I would look else where parents for an IB school that cares about the students and not just the great scores they bring to the school to make their self look good. My child was moved to Wharton High School where she is thriving. There is no more cutting and the administration is open and honest. Look elsewhere parents as you do have a choice.
Submitted by student on December 16, 2015

King high school is not only dirty, unkempt, and essentially a cesspool for future illiterate inmates but a community of uncaring teachers and staff. (Before you dismiss this review believing it came from an angry student who doesn't care about their education I'll inform you that I am a straight A student who cares about her education more than anything else in the world but King is anything but an environment to learn). Never in my life have I met a worse person than Ms.Mitchell, an assistant principal at king (who has the most revolting attitude towards every student she comes in contact with) who when she isn't giving out unnecessary dress code citations to unsuspecting girls for things as ridiculous as shorts a millimeter too short and shirts that have a slightly translucent back is using her power to otherwise harass the students of King High. The rest of the administrative staff is also utterly useless as even Mr.Rowan does nothing to punish students who actually do bad things like bully and harass others although at the beginning of each year the entire student body has to endure an hour long assembly on the consequences of bullying and how the staff will be very strict when it comes to these sorts of things- this is the an immense lie that they repeat all year long. To stray from the problems the staff has (although there are many more) the teachers at King are also a big problem in and of themselves; while there is a minute amount of teachers who actually care about their students (with the exception of most of the IB teachers and very few traditional/KAPS teachers) a vast majority of the teachers could not care less about the wellbeing and the grades of their students and when offered jobs at any other high school, jump at the chance to leave King. Students who transfer from other high schools immediately notice the uncleanliness of the school and later notice the issues with the staff, from the firsthand accounts of these unfortunate students who had to downgrade schools, King is the worst school they have ever attended and the students who had the misfortune of being zoned at King and could not attend another school, by the sad indiscretions of their parents also agree that King, as a whole is atrocious.
Submitted by other on October 26, 2015

I was a bit nervous about having my daughter attend this school due to; it's reputation, the long bus ride (dd is in the IB program so has to do the magnet bus marathon), the fact that it is such a large school, and the challenge of the IB course load. My daughter loves it!! She even enjoys the long bus ride home as she gets time to socialize with friends. The teachers and staff have been very responsive to any concerns that I have had and do a great job of keeping the lines of communication open. There is one teacher that does not communicate well, but she will be retiring after this year :) The course load is challenging, but manageable. I was very happy to see that they encourage the children to participate in clubs, the arts, and athletics.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2015

We are foreigners. My son joined ESL program in King High School. All his teachers are very helpful. My son loves his school. The Addmission Office, Guidance and Student Affairs are perfect. It is surprising that in such a big school they show special interest to every individual. We were lucky to live close and send my son there. I wish he could continue but it is not possible since we are foreigners he has to go to a private school after a crrtain time. Thanks to King High School. Fulya Okutur
Submitted by parent on December 16, 2014

This school is no heck of a school.But the program and teachers my son have,do at least try to help him to get his grades and credits so he can graduate.
Submitted by student on December 09, 2014

Horrible. Inefficient, most teachers are there to babysit and only try hard when the exam bonus comes around. Unsafe environment. Barely answers the phone for anything. In order to see an administrator you have to WALK IN and cause a huge scene.
Submitted by parent on November 23, 2014

I'm very happy with my decision to choose King for my daughter. Great IB program. The teachers and students are great. A lot of home work every single day . They will be prepare to go to university easily .
Submitted by student on October 05, 2014

itely good and bad aspects of the school. The campus is bad, they seriously need to repaint the buildings. Also, there are some bad fights, muggings, weapons, drugs, and trespassing. But that is what you get for putting a school right on 56th and Sligh. However, that is just the few bad kids in the school. Overall, the people in traditional are not that bad and if you don't bother anyone, they won't bother you. However, as an IB student, it is phenomenal. The people are great, they are all super smart (it's almost impossible to be val here) and they are really chill. Teachers encourage you to excel in your studies and to join many clubs. I have to admit, the program is definitely very rigorous at King, but we had a 96% IB diploma pass rate last year, highest ever in county history, so it is all worth it at the end. We IB students probably have the most school spirit. So, if you are going to be in traditional, it might be a little hard but you can survive though it. If you are going to be in IB, definitely come to King, I'd say the best IB school in the county.
Submitted by other on July 28, 2014

The teachers are great at this school. The students are horrible. They are rude, direspectful,all they talk about is what clothes and shoes they have on and are always off topic in the classroom. The students are more focused on other things besides their education which makes it harder for their other class mates around them to focus becaise the teacher had to constatly stop teacher to get them in order.
Submitted by student on May 12, 2014

King High school I think its the best school in tampa ^_^ I think so and I dont care what the other people think
Submitted by teacher on August 13, 2013

This school is awful and I would never think about sending my child here. This school is home to some of the most ignorant children I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Please anyone who sees this and is able to, fix this god forsaken school.
Submitted by student on February 21, 2013

I personally believe that this school is going downhill. The campus isn't that great and no one has any consideration(or budget) on making it look better. The bathrooms are gross and I remember being a former student, waiting to go home to use my own. My best years were my freshman and sophomore. I felt as though I had more freedom than I did my junior and senior year. I did well academically and learned which teachers were the best and which were plain sorry. I connected with all my guidance counselors in order to control my education instead of being considered another passive student who had no interest in his/hers learning. Each coming year, rules were changed and established and I felt as if there was a rift on a student's freedom all the while the education remain crummy. Being a traditional student I was fully aware of the "wall" that was built between both IB and traditional. It was hard to communicate and associate with my IB friends unless we were in the same after school club or seen each other in the morning before classes began. I am now in college and my high school experience has been thrown in a vault into the back of my mind never to be heard of again.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2012

This is a great school. My son has been going there for 9,10,11. He is in the IB program and on the Varsity Football Team. He has also wresled for a season. I also had my oldest son go to Tampa Bay Tech not to compare the schools but King is a very organized school to help your student succeed. They are very engaged and hire very professional teachers that are really good and accomplished in their fields. I would recommend the school to anyone.
Submitted by student on October 04, 2012

The school has its pros and cons. I am currently a student there in 11th grade and I have to admit although it is not as bad as people in middle school said it would be, it is not a 7 hour a day experience that I enjoy. First of all, the kids are rude and misbehave a lot, and they have no respect for the teachers. Also, another big thing is that there is too many politics that go on. The current principal I can not say is doing a very fair job. As for teachers, they are basically split down the center, with a few exceptions here and there. They often do not make wise decisions when scheduling which teachers get which classes, and give upper level classes to either poor or inexperienced teachers. After my freshman year, things got a lot better. Sophmore year, with the exception of one teacher, everything was great. Stil waiting to see about this year.