Gulf High School opened on September 18, 1922, with an initial enrollment of 39 students and a faculty of three teachers. There were no seniors during the first school year; the first graduation took place on April 29, 1924, with eleven seniors. Although Gulf High School remained the only high school in western Pasco County for over fifty years, enrollment remained small through the 1950s and local residents feared the state might close the school. In the 1920s and 1930s, the sports teams were nicknamed the "Cooties," from a shortened name for the Pithlachascotee River, on which the school was situated. In 1931, a dispute between the school trustees and the county school board over the selection of a principal was appealed to the Florida Supreme Court. In 1938, football was revived after an absence of several years and in November of that year the Tampa Tribune said that the team was the "losingest team in the country," as it had been outscored by 442-0 thus far in the season. However, the 1941-42 football team had a 9-1 record and won the Gulf Coast Conference championship. In 1961, Gulf High School moved into a new building, and in 1977 it moved to its third and current location at 5355 School Road, New Port Richey FL 34652. The building which now houses Gulf High school opened as Gulf Junior High School in 1971; in 1977 the two schools switched buildings. Schools in Pasco County were racially integrated in the 1960s, and the first black students to attend Gulf High School were enrolled at the start of the 1966-67 school year. In April 2007, the International Baccalaureate Organization approved a diploma program for Gulf High School. In 2009, Gulf High School's first IB Senior class graduated. In 2010, the wrestling team won the Class A state championship.
Academics
Enrollment
In the 2009-2010 school year, Gulf High was projected to enroll 1328 students, and enrollment is 1214 students for 2015-2016.
Awards
Learning communities
Gulf High School currently offers five learning community options:
The Gulf High Marching Buccaneers have been an institution at Gulf High School since 1925. The school also has a jazz ensemble called Jazz Fusion, and a drumline called G-Force. The GHS Drumline won best in Pasco, finalizing against Pasco High School, at the King's High drum-off, Pasco bracket. The GHS color guard has earned a "Superior" rating 12 of the last 15 years at the district-wide assessment.
