Tampa Bay’s ‘Most Challenging’ High Schools Named By The Washington Post

Some students prefer to skate through high school by taking easy classes to score high marks, but others are driven by challenge. After all, more challenging courses are known to help students push their limits while reaching for the stars. Rigorous programs like Advanced Placement may even help kids get a jump on college as they pursue their diplomas.

Working off the idea that more challenging programs are often better for some students, the Washington Post recently set out to recognize high schools across the country that push kids to achieve. The publication recently released its 2017 list of the Most Challenging High Schools in the U.S. That list ranks dozens of schools in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties along with hundreds of others from across the country.

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The Washington Post ranks schools through an index formula that’s a simple ratio: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year, according to the Washington Post.

A ratio of 1.000 means the school had as many tests as graduates.

Here are the schools in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties that made the list. You can click here to see all of the schools listed in Florida, and to get more information about individual statistics and placement.

• King High School, Hillsborough County
• Robinson High School, Hillsborough County
• Plant High School, Hillsborough County
• Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough County
• Middleton High School, Hillsborough County
• Clearwater High School, Pinellas County
• Newsome High School, Hillsborough County
• Land O’ Lakes High School, Pasco County
• Strawberry High School, Hillsborough County
• Riverview High School, Sarasota County
• Sickles High School, Hillsborough County
• Bloomingdale High School, Hillsborough County
• Southeast High School, Manatee County
• Palm Harbor University High, Pinellas County
• East Lake High School, Pinellas County
• St. Petersburg High School, Pinellas County
• Gulf High School, Pasco County
• Freedom High School, Hillsborough County
• Boca Ciega High School, Pinellas County
• Alonso High School, Hillsborough County
• Tarpon Springs High School, Pinellas County
• Wharton High School, Hillsborough County
• Jefferson High School, Hillsborough County
• Durant High School, Hillsborough County
• Gaither High School, Hillsborough County
• Blake High School, Hillsborough High School
• Riverview High School, Hillsborough County
• Largo High School, Pinellas County
• Mitchell High School, Pasco County
• Lakewood Ranch, Manatee County
• Jenkins High School, Polk County
• Tampa Bay Tech, Hillsborough County
• Braden River High School, Manatee County
• Lakeland High School, Polk County
• Plant City High School, Hillsborough County
• Armwood High School, Hillsborough County
• Spoto High School, Hillsborough County
• Chamberlain High School, Hillsborough County
• River Ridge High school, Hillsborough County
• Gibbs High School, Pinellas County
• Lakewood High School, Pinellas County
• DeBartolo Collegiate, Hillsborough County
• Wiregrass Ranch, Pasco County
• Dunedin High School, Pinellas County
• Countryside High School, Pinellas County
• Sunlake High School, Pasco County
• Manatee High School, Manatee County
• Brandon High School, Hillsborough County
• Fivay High School, Pasco County
• Sarasota Military, Sarasota County
• Lake Gibson High School, Polk County
• Zephyrhills High School, Pasco County
• Seminole High School, Pinellas County
• Ridgewood High School, Pasco County
• Newport Charter, Pinellas County
• Pinellas Park High School, Pinellas County
• McKeel Academy of Technology, Polk County
• East Bay High School, Hillsborough County
• Hudson High School, Pasco County
• Leto High School, Hillsborough County
• Wesley Chapel High School, Pasco County
• Northeast High School, Pinellas County
• Lennard High School, Hillsborough County
• Tenoroc High School, Polk County

Patch’s Kara Seymour and Amie Rowland contributed to this story.

Image via Shutterstock