Original Research by School Decision on Alonso High School
Alonso High School sits in the western part of Tampa, a large and varied city whose residential neighborhoods range from historic preservation districts near downtown to newer suburban stretches along the bay's outer edges. The school's immediate surroundings are residential rather than downtown-oriented, which is typical for Tampa high schools, most of which are distributed across neighborhood campuses well away from the city core.
The school is a large comprehensive public high school serving grades nine through twelve within Hillsborough County Schools. Enrollment is substantial for a high school, with students spread across all four grade levels in roughly expected proportions. Hispanic students make up the majority of the student body, with white students as the next largest group and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. About two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects a meaningful level of economic diversity. Data on English learners and students receiving special education services was not available in the data provided.
On academics, the picture is limited. Florida state assessment results were not available in the data, and multi-year trend data was similarly absent. This is a gap a prospective family should follow up on directly with the school or through the Florida Department of Education's public reporting. The comparison set for Hillsborough County districts also returned no usable metrics for proficiency, graduation rate, or chronic absenteeism, so this narrative cannot position the school against its county peers on those measures. Program and course access data was not provided either, so questions about AP offerings, dual enrollment, or career pathways are worth asking the school directly.
One district-level change families should know about is a major rezoning that took effect for the 2024-2025 school year. The Hillsborough school board approved new attendance boundaries affecting a large number of schools countywide, meaning some families may find their assigned school has changed from what they expected. Separately, voters approved a property tax referendum in late 2024 that runs through mid-2029, adding to homeowner costs but directing revenue toward teacher and staff compensation to address longstanding staffing pressures across the district.
The housing market around the school's zip code reflects Tampa's broader arc: home values are above both the state and national medians, though prices have softened over the past year, and rents have declined more noticeably. The price-to-income ratio locally is elevated relative to national norms, and the estimated monthly cost of carrying a mortgage here is meaningfully above what many buyers plan for. Renters face a similar squeeze, with rent consuming a substantial share of a typical income. Tampa as a city is in an active development phase, particularly downtown and in the Channel District, though the broader apartment market has been softening and the labor picture showed some cooling in early 2026.
The school's neighborhood sits in a car-dependent part of the city. Walkability in Tampa is concentrated in downtown and a handful of historic neighborhoods, and the Montague Street address is not among those areas.
Because state assessment data, graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, and program details were all absent from what was available, families considering Alonso should plan to request those directly from the school, particularly anything related to course offerings, college counseling, and how the school supports students with IEPs or English language needs.
See more original research from School Decision →