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Ridgewood High School
7650 Orchid Lake Road, New Port Richey, FL, 34653-1315 -  Map
tel: (727)774-3900
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School Overview:
Definition of Terms Ridgewood High School
Grades Offered Grades 7 - 12
County Pasco County, FL
Students & Faculty
Total Students 1988 students
% Male / % Female 52%  /  48%
Total Classroom Teachers 98 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 7 - 2 students
Grade 8 - 2 students
Grade 9 - 714 students
Grade 10 - 549 students
Grade 11 - 412 students
Grade 12 - 309 students
This School ( FL ) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:20 1:16
Students by Ethnicity
This School ( FL ) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 2% 2%
% Hispanic 11% 22%
% Black 3% 28%
% White 83% 47%
% Unknown 1 % 2%
Additional Student Information
This School ( FL ) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 39% 42%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch 10% 9%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a n/a
School Performance:
( FL ) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name Pasco County School District
This School's Agency ( FL ) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 76 20
Number of Students Managed 69,985 students 12,279 students
District Total Revenue $482,431,000 $110,828,000
District Expenditure $471,317,000 $112,427,000
District Revenue / Student $6,893 $7,795
District Expenditure / Student $6,735 $7,471
School Notes:
  • Ridgewood High School is a four-year public high school in New Port Richey, Florida. It is part of the Pasco County Public School System in Pasco County, Florida. The school was founded in 1978.
  • History: The Pasco County School Board approved creation of a new Junior High School in the Ridgewood area of New Port Richey in response to population growth in the area during the 1970s, with the expectation that the school would ultimately become West Pasco's third high school. The school was built for $3.2 million and opened in 1978. Wendell L. Krinn became the first principal of the school.
  • Ridgewood officially opened up as a high school in 1983 with a freshman class, adding one grade per each year, until it had a full four-year complement in the 1985-1986 school year, which was the first graduating class. As part of the transition to a high school, Ridgewood underwent a $1.6 million renovation project, which included a gym added to the back of the main building, a stadium built by the football field, as well as a new weight room and tennis courts.
  • After winning the "Pride of Pasco" academic award, in 1988, the title stuck as the nickname of the school.
  • In 1998, Dr. Arthur O'Donnell became the second principal in Ridgewood's history. He transferred from Hudson High School and brought along with him Assistant Principal Janet Ricci. In 2003, he retired after working 19 years in the Pasco County School system.
  • Learning communities: In 1997, Ridgewood High School started implementing the learning community concept, which has been expanded over the years to the current four learning communities at Ridgewood High School.
  • The Academy of Business and Law (ABLE) focuses on business and law through the study of business and law courses as part of an enhanced core curriculum.
  • Communication and the Arts Standing Together (CAST) program educates students in the communications field, and prepares them for future careers in the industry through study of communication and the arts.
  • The Health Occupational and Technological Services (HOTS) program focuses on hands-on science courses, with attention to developing critical-thinking skills. Students address the influence of science on society. Guest speakers from related fields participate in the process.
  • The Graduation Enhancement Program (GEP) helps "at risk" students improve their academic achievement, vocational skills and community involvement to connect students to the world at large.
  • School symbols: During the establishment of the school in the late 1970’s, the student body at Ridgewood voted to make the official nickname and logo the Ram, "which symbolizes the endless determination of our spirit to strive for high standards in every aspect within our institution." There was actually a real ram brought in as a mascot for sporting events who would soon be replaced by the present day “Rocky the Ram.” The colors orange and blue were adopted, matching those of the University of Florida Gators.
  • Athletics: RHS won two state titles in Cross Country under then Coach Glenn Cable in 1991 and 1999. Ridgewood won the Class 3A state title in Fast-Pitch Softball in 1992, led by coach Marlyn Bavetta, defeating Berkeley Preparatory School by a score of 7-6. Ridgewood achieved success in both sports during the 1990s with victories at both the district and conference level.
  • Girls basketball advanced into the state playoffs, winning several district and conference titles and moving on to a Sweet 16 appearance in 2004. Ridgewood Football made its first playoff appearance in 2002 under coach Troy Cornwell, falling to Belleview High School by a score of 48-6 in the first round of the Class 4A tournament.
  • Gary Anders was hired in 1987 to coach the Ridgewood boys basketball team and serve as athletic director. The basketball program would win several conference titles under Anders and back-to-back district titles in the mid-1990s and again achieving the feat in 2003 and 2004. Ridgewood won another conference title in 2006. Anders won his 400th basketball game in 2003 and made the Elite 8 in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) basketball tournament.
  • Former Assistant Principal and teacher Larry Beets was hired as head baseball coach, and after winning back to back conference championships in 1986 and 1987, won district titles in 1990 and 1991, and a Regional Championship in 1991 and 1998. From 2003-2005, the team won three straight district championships capped off in 2006 with six consecutive playoff appearances. The Rams would also make the 2003 State Championship game, falling to Bishop Kenny High School by a score of 13-0 in the Class 4A finals at Legends Field in Tampa, Florida. Larry Beets was recognized by the St. Petersburg Times as "Coach of the Year" for his accomplishments with a team that had less "firepower" than its competitors yet managed to pull off a major upset in the district final.
  • Competing in a group of 61 high schools in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, participating in 19 different sports, Ridgewood High School was recognized in 1992 as a winner of the fourth annual St. Petersburg Times All-Sports Championship, paced by state titles in boys cross country and softball.
  • Notable alumni: Mike Rabelo, Catcher in the Detroit Tigers organization. Robert Jacob Tysz, geographer and really nice fellow.
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL
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School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (34653)
School Zip (34653) (FL) State Average
Population (Approximate) 30,941 people 15,366,089 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 16% 27%
Population Average Age 46 years old 38.7 years old
Average Household size 2.2 persons 2.3 persons
Median Household Income $30,373 $38,451
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 4.9 rooms 5.0 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 27 years old 32 years old
View current housing listings in 34653
% Owning / % Renting 75% / 25% 67% / 33%
School Map:
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  Nearby Schools:
1. Cotee River Elementary School - 785 students - view location
2. Mandala Treatment Center - 32 students - view location
3. New Port Richey Marine Institute - 67 students - view location
4. Pace For Girls, Pasco - 35 students - view location
5. Schwettman Education Center - 123 students - view location
View all schools in: New Port Richey Town, Pasco County, Zip 34653 
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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