Alachua County
Alachua County is a public school district based in Gainesville, Florida, serving 28,204 students in 62 schools. By enrollment it ranks #27 of the 66 Florida districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 60% of them. Its schools average 455 students each, fewer than the Florida median of 572. Its interim superintendent is Dr. Kamela Patton. It spends about $10,880 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 17.2 students per teacher.
How Alachua County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Alachua County | Florida median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,880 | $10,483 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $5,871 | $5,885 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $415.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $356.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 1,644 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 3,691 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 17.2 | 17.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 486 | 428 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Florida median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr. Kamela Patton
Source: Florida Department of Education, Superintendents, checked 2026-10-04. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Florida
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okaloosa CountyFort Walton Beach | 32,047 | 49 | $9,864 | 19.0 | #24 |
| Leon CountyTallahassee | 31,645 | 55 | $9,458 | 17.1 | #25 |
| Santa Rosa CountyMilton | 29,624 | 41 | $9,598 | 18.4 | #26 |
| Alachua CountyGainesville · this district | 28,204 | 62 | $10,880 | 17.2 | #27 |
| Bay CountyPanama City | 27,558 | 49 | $10,549 | 17.1 | #28 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield CityBakersfield, CA | 28,365 | $15,168 | 20.4 |
| OlatheOlathe, KS | 28,195 | $13,926 | 12.9 |
| Charles County Public SchoolsLa Plata, MD | 28,162 | $16,152 | 14.4 |
| Boulder Valley School District No. Re2Boulder, CO | 27,988 | $14,027 | 17.6 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-fl-alachua-county