Oak Hall School

Oak Hall School is a private pre-K through 12th grade school in Gainesville, Florida founded in 1970.

Oak Hall School
Location
1700 SW 75th Street, Gainesville, FL 32607 Gainesville, Florida , Alachua County , Florida
Coordinates	29.6387416°N 82.4297057°W / 29.6387416; -82.4297057
Information
School type	Independent preparatory
Motto	Scholarship, leadership, service
Established	1970
Headmaster	Dr. James Hutchins
Grades	Pre-K through 12th
Enrollment	~750
Color(s)	Burgundy and Gold
Mascot	Eagles
Rival	Saint Francis Catholic Academy
Website	www.oakhall.org

History

Oak Hall was founded in 1970, the year Gainesville finished desegregating its high schools.^[1] Founded by Drs. Billy Brashear and Harry L. Walker, the school was open to all "without regard to race, creed or color", but had a $1,100 tuition.^[2] By January 1971, the school received IRS approval of its tax exemption because it announced and publicized a racially nondiscriminatory admissions policy. ^[3]

Although technically a private school, the school was largely built with funds provided by industrial revenue bonds raised by Alachua County.^[4] Oak Hall's elementary school, or "Lower School", was originally a separate campus by the name of Martha Manson Academy. The Headmaster there gave the school to Oak Hall in 2001, creating the Pre-K through 12 campus that the school has today.^{[citation needed]}

The school established a sister-school relationship with the Changzhou #2 Middle/High School in China.^{[citation needed]}

Facilities

The school is sited on a 44-acre (18 ha) campus and includes a 400-seat theater, art and photography center, media center, science labs, gymnasium, lighted soccer field, lighted football field, brand new tennis courts, an unlighted baseball field, a softball field, and as well as many other outdoor basketball, pickleball, tennis, and 4-square courts.

Lower School

Cofrin Arts Center

Athletics and extracurriculars

Oak Hall has a Spanish program and was placed first in Division 1A at the Florida State Spanish Conference in 2010. It also has a Latin program and was placed first in the Senior Division and first in the Junior Division at the 2010 FJCL State Forum held between April 14, 2010, and April 17, 2010. The Senior Division won again in 2012, 2014.^[5] 2015,^[6] and 2016.^[7] Its Certamen team has won state and collegiate-level tournaments.^[8]

Edith D. Cofrin Theater

Notable alumni

• Tamari Davis, world-champion sprinter^[9]
• Brian Ellington, MLB baseball player^[10]
• Will Muschamp, college football coach