2024 Best Charter Schools in the Tampa Area

• Pinellas County Schools, FL•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  325 reviews

Alum: St. Petersburg Collegiate High School allowed me levels of freedom that would have never been possible at a typical public high school. The ability to formulate my own college schedule made room for me to have a job and focus on my interests. The staff were extremely helpful and always responded in a timely manner, so I felt strongly supported. Also, the benefit of getting a head start on college is undeniable. I graduated with my AA degree with all of my general education classes done, many of which pertain to my intended degree. All of this, I believe, led to my ultimate scholarly and personal success as well as my acceptance into my first choice college.... Read 325 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 240

• Student-teacher ratio 48:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.03 out of 5  278 reviews

Senior: Being at Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School was truly a blessing to receive after the Covid-19 pandemic. After leaving Hillsborough High School in the summer of 2020 after completing my freshmen year, I was fortunate to be admitted to Brooks DeBartolo for my sophomore year. Now, three years later I look back and greatly appreciate what this school and its faculty have done for me. Going from a 2000+ student size school at Hillsborough where you can seep into a crowd and not be found, this small 500+ student size school is perfect for having interactions and being known by name by your teachers and these teachers have been wonderful. For the past three years, all of my teachers loved their and cared for each and everyone in their classroom. Here, because of its tight and close community, you make friends easily and by now, I have dozens of close friends. This school is built on giving us a better future and now looking back, I'm grateful for all that's been done all of us students... Read 278 reviews

• grade A

• Students 602

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  20 reviews

Junior: I have attended Patel High School all three years of my high school years. My freshman year was still during Covid times so I was E-learner the first semester but then I came in the second semester. It was only the second year of the school opening so the environment was still iffy and honestly I didn’t like it. My sophomore year wasn’t that great either it wasn’t as if the school wanted to be an actual high school experience rather just learn the information and go home. Though, the end of my sophomore year was when administration decided, they wanted to start incorporating, at least incorporating more and emphasizing clubs and extracurriculars. That’s when the school did a 360 turnaround. Then became one of the greatest schools in Hillsborough County, and soon to be Florida. Currently in my junior year, I’ve never seen so many high school students wanting to be involved in their school in a Motivational Way. Patel high school high has amazing school spirit and amazing academics.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A

• Students 587

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Pasco County School District, FL•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.65 out of 5  23 reviews

Senior: Dayspring overall is a good school. They care about their students and there grades. They try to help everyone succeed and prepared for college. The only thing that is wrong is that when you get into dual enrollment they don’t seem prepared. Maybe students have been unable to get their AA due to Daysprings mistakes. Dayspring often misses something that screws over the student. They also don’t seem prepared enough for their college students due to not having any classrooms for their classes. The high school has to many kids and the 8th graders should not be there. Dayspring is a good school but isn’t the best or most organized when it comes to their dual enrollment students.... Read 23 reviews

• grade A

• Students 867

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  50 reviews

Alum: My time in Bell Creek Academy High School was a very positive experience, whereas I got to experience a great highschool life with wonderful teachers who are dedicated to the learning and growth of their students. In my time at BCA High School, I dedicated it to the pursuit of classes, extracurriculars, clubs, sports, etc. It was a very positive learning period of my life, many of the students enrolled are very dedicated to their learning, whereas many are very passionate for certain subjects, such as math, or history. Others pursuit other goals such as the caretaking of the environment through environmental club, or question their place in the universe through philosophy club, and others pursuit competitive extracurriculars such as sports or debate. I was fortunate enough to have a splendid time with many members of the faculty and staff. The teachers are very dedicated, and the student body was very kind, it was a great school experience and I encourage others to seek out theirs!... Read 50 reviews

• grade A

• Students 601

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  16 reviews

Parent: Absolutely love this school! The teachers and the school want the absolute best for the student. They go above and beyond in academics, support and communication. My son was there for all 3 years, and during his time there he excelled, with help from his teachers, tutoring during and after school, and by the schools expectations. Their standards are high and this has taught my son how to strive for the best. They are strict with deadlines and homework, this is a good thing. They expect the best and they teach their students to do the same. My son is now ready for High school and he will do well, thanks to TCMS!... Read 16 reviews

• grade A

• Students 660

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Polk County Public Schools, FL•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  398 reviews

Alum: I liked how safe it was. The students do not fight randomly in the hallways, the teachers, with some exceptions, are not dangerous or perverted. There’s no illegal drug scene unless you really look for one. Of course it’s there, but I never knew about it! They work hard to provide the best opportunities for field trips and class events. I don’t think Lakeland public schools would’ve gone to New York, or had the prom on a boat. A lot of students find it to be strict, but this is what makes all of these things possible.... Read 398 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,722

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.4 out of 5  10 reviews

Parent: Plato Academy Tampa Charter School has been an excellent school to watch my daughter grow. She loves her teachers and her peers. She loves being at the school in general because of the nurturing and family like environment. All of the teachers are very kind and are very supportive to one another which sets a great example of how to treat others. You can see they truly care for their students, each going above and beyond to show how much they care!... Read 10 reviews

• grade A

• Students 348

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Polk County Public Schools, FL•

• 11-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  290 reviews

Senior: PSCHS is an excellent program and one that I would highly recommend for anyone in the Polk County area. On all levels, the school has been above and beyond in its mission to bring its students into the college environment while preparing them for their future education. The front office is filled with administrators who are passionate about their jobs and their students. Some things that stand out to me the most are the SLS meetings and class overall. The meeting includes the entire collegiate staff helping guide their students to success. During the meeting, students are reminded of their high school and associate degree requirements, scholarship information, and other step the students need to take to continue their success. The class also gives assignments that make sure the student stays on track and is prepared for their future education and career. These include job shadowing, setting up meetings with counselors, college visitation, required testing, etc.... Read 290 reviews

• grade A

• Students 336

• Student-teacher ratio 168:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: My son’s experience in kindergarten was incredible. It was all due to his amazing teacher, Ms. Stefanile. My son learned so much and also had so much fun. We can’t believe how lucky and blessed we were to have Ms. Stefanile for his kindergarten teacher. You can tell she truly loves what she does and cares about each and every one of her students. All of us parents would love if she moved to 1st grade. Kids and parents, we all love her!... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 782

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Pasco County School District, FL•

• 1-8

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: There are not enough good things to stay about this school and teachers and staff who have become part of our family. The attention that our children get is beyond measure. I cannot imagine another school for my children.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 353

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Pinellas County Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  13 reviews

Parent: This school has a great academic curriculum. I feel like all the teaches and staff really go above and beyond to help any and all students, also always just an email or phone call away if a parent needs anything. The school I feel is also very safe and takes the children’s safety very seriously!... Read 13 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 539

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hernando County School District, FL•

• 6-8

• grade A minus

• Students 214

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Pinellas County Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

Alum: During my time there the teachers were very engaging and supportive of course with some exceptions. If your looking for advanced classes to be prepared for hs this is the place to go with that said your child does need to show excellence above others.Were not much of a sporty school so you wont find that there, if you are intrested in stem we have a very supportive science olympiad team and robotics team. Umm something that I wished that we had while there, was having a greater elective classes variety such as music classes (ex: orchestra and an actual band class) and other language classes than Spanish, with that said since I started hs I do feel prepared and above my peers :) Ohh yeah and may I say you really become like a family there, in the middle school you usually move around like a group in between classes rather than individually. Hmm what else.. ah yes the parents there actually care about there child's education they're always fundraising and finding ways to support them.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 498

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  23 reviews

Parent: Excellent method! My son was in that school for 3 years and when we moved to another neighborhood we decided to change schools but in just 3 months we were so unhappy that we went back to Winthrop! my son had dropped his grades too much and i really didn't understand why, i think he feels much more encouraged to study now at his old new school. He really loves his classmates and teachers, everyone is very attentive and welcomes all children with the greatest affection.... Read 23 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,346

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• K-8

• grade A minus

• Students 304

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  17 reviews

Senior: At first, I didn't really like bell creek. Bell Creek was one of the outside schools that no one wants to go, to since only nerdy people go to that school. But after being stuck there for four years, Bell Creek isn't that bad. For the first two years, I hated Bell Creek. Mostly because I hated wearing uniforms and so I got dress coded a few times, and because of that I didn't like the staff. But the last two years, I actually tried to get to know the staff and the teachers, and they're amazing people, they're just doing their job. For me, the only thing that sucked was the uniforms, but that meant I didn't have to spend a lot of money to wear new outfits at school, so I saved plenty of money. Another great thing, there were no fights, at all compared to other public schools. We were very safe inside and didn't have to worry about anything, plus, we have an amazing cop keeping us safe. Another thing, we can retake tests and have tutoring classes if you really need it with the teachers!... Read 17 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 500

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Pinellas County Schools, FL•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 4.73 out of 5  11 reviews

Senior: SPCHS is a great high school and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here! Thanks to their partnership with St. Petersburg College, this school allows students to graduate high school with their diploma and an Associate's degree. Small class sizes allow for better teacher-student connections. I have no negative feedback, as the school is constantly working to be better.... Read 11 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 212

• Student-teacher ratio 39:1

• Pinellas County Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: Plato Academy Palm Harbor is an excellent school with amazing teachers. They are so caring and communicative. They help parents by answering questions and sending emails to keep us informed. I wouldn’t chose any other school for my children!... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 354

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Pinellas County Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  5 reviews

Parent: My child has been a student at Plato Academy Tarpon Springs for the last 4 years. We have had a great experience at this school. The teachers are wonderful, the technology is excellent and I love the small family-type environment. Wearing uniforms is a big plus for us & having Friday casual uniform day is fun. We love special events like the color fun run, Halloween trunk or treat, book sale, Kona ice every other Friday, Olympics & the Christmas music program. I love that the kids can celebrate holidays with holiday parties. We like the smaller classes and that all the teachers in the school know all the kids by their name. I love that he is learning Greek. Volunteer hours are difficult to achieve with working parents, but I know the hours are flexible & the school understands if we can’t achieve the hours. The large amount of homework has been rough for us, with trying to balance it along with sports, family events and just general relaxing and unwinding from a school day.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 359

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Pinellas County Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  5 reviews

Parent: Integrating education with arts and technology is a unique approach these days. ADV is a prime example of how progressive methods and a non-traditional approach works! All children learn differently and it's important to offer our children the opportunity to learn using the method(s) that best works for them. ADV does an incredible job with this. I highly recommend this school!... Read 5 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 339

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Pinellas County Schools, FL•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.96 out of 5  27 reviews

Parent: My son LOVES Plato Academy St Petersburg, he started at our campus in kindergarten and entered 7th grade this year. We love everything about our school from the administrators to the teachers to his classmates. Plato has a challenging curriculum and offers our students Greek along with advanced classes . The staff is held to the highest of standards because, even if they are not in the classroom teaching, they are role models for our students. Our school emphasizes the importance of values, nurtures high academic standards and builds character in each of their students.... Read 27 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 365

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 908

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL•

• K-8

• grade A minus

• Students 826

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Polk County Public Schools, FL•

• K-6

• grade A minus

• Students 115

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1