A. P. Leto High School is a public high school within the

Hillsborough County Public Schools Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is a school district that runs the public school system of Hillsborough County in west central Florida and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is frequently referred to as the School District of Hillsbo ...

system and is located at 4409 W Sligh Avenue in

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, U.S.. In addition to the four high school grades, Leto also hosts adult night services. Larissa McCoy, the current principal, was appointed in 2017.

Demographics

As of 2014, Leto High School is 75% Hispanic, .2% White, 23% Black, and < 0% other The school currently operates as a Title I school (receives additional funds from the federal government) with 98.4% of the student population eligible for free or reduced lunch.

History

Originally called A.P. Leto Comprehensive High School, it was named in honor of Ateo Phillip Leto, a former principal at

Jefferson High School This is a list of memorials to Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States and the author of the United States Declaration of Independence. Buildings Elementary schools *Jefferson Elementary School, in Cammack Village, Arkansas *Thoma ...

and at Chamberlain High School in Tampa. He was originally to serve as the school's first principal, but he died before the school year began. The first principal of Leto was Frank M. Farmer. Established in 1965 with grades 9-11, which meant that the first graduating class was not until 1967, Leto was the first comprehensive high school in Hillsborough County. It was "comprehensive" because in addition to the high school academic curriculum, Leto offered several modern vocational options for students. Although the largest school in Hillsborough County, it originally lacked a gymnasium, a stadium, baseball and softball fields, which were added in the 1970s. According to Leto's official website, the students of the first graduating class of 1967 chose the school's colors, mascot, alma mater and several other traditions that continue to be practiced at Leto High. The school opened with 1,670 students its first year and is situated on .

Magnet School

Created in 2013, Collegiate Academy is a magnet program provided by Hillsborough Community College. Students enrolled in this program will take college classes while on Leto's campus earning a two-year Associate of Arts degree while also earning their high school diploma.

Publications

* ''The Talon'' - student-run and produced yearbook

School Report Card

According to the

Florida Department of Education The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) is the state education agency of Florida. It governs public education and manages funding and testing for local educational agencies (school boards). It is headquartered in the Turlington Building (na ...

, Leto High received the following "grades" between 1998 and 2018: :2017-18 = C :2016-17 = C :2015-16 = ? :2014-15 = F :2013-14 = F :2008-09 = D :2007-08 = D :2006-07 = F :2005-06 = F :2004-05 = D :2003-04 = D :2002-03 = D :2001-02 = D :2000-01 = C :1999-00 = C :1998-99 = C

Improvement

Leto was one of 16 schools nationwide selected by the

College Board The College Board is an American nonprofit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an association of colleges, it runs a ...

for inclusion in the EXCELerator "School Improvement Model" program, beginning in the 2007–2008 school year. The project was funded by the

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...

. Leto during its 50th Anniversary received funding to remodel and restore the campus to how it was during its first opening.

Notable alumni

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

'74 - professional wrestler *

Gary Huff Gary Earl Huff (born April 27, 1951 in Natchez, Mississippi) is a former professional football player. He graduated from Leto Senior High School in Tampa, Florida and played college football and baseball at Florida State University before becomin ...

'69 - NFL football player who quarterbacked the first win in Buccaneers history in 1977 *

Matt Vogler Matt Vogler (born September 25, 1969) is a former American football quarterback who played two seasons in the Arena Football League with the Massachusetts Marauders and Miami Hooters. He first enrolled at Auburn University before transferring to ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player *

Michael Jenkins (wide receiver) Michael Gerard Jenkins (born June 18, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons and also played for the Minnesota Viki ...

player

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leto, A. P. High School Leto Leto Public high schools in Florida 1964 establishments in Florida