P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School is a PreK-12 public laboratory school of the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

, in

Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...

, United States. The student population, selected by lottery, mirrors the demographics of the school-age population of the State of Florida.

Organization

Established in 1934 in Norman Hall on the University of Florida campus, P.K. Yonge is a one-school school district and also a department of the University of Florida College of Education. A

laboratory school A laboratory school or demonstration school is an elementary or secondary school operated in association with a university, college, or other teacher education institution and used for the training of future teachers, educational experimentatio ...

(reflected in the school's former name, the P.K. Yonge Laboratory School), the school's mission is to design, test, and disseminate innovations in K-12 education by serving a diverse student community. The school interim director is Lynda Hayes, Ph.D., the secondary school principal is Carrie Geiger, Ed.D., and the elementary school principal is Ashley Pennypacker Hill, Ed.D. Faculty, in addition to teaching duties, are required to engage in formal research projects each year, which are presented at an annual Inquiry Symposium attended by all P.K. Yonge faculty and colleagues from the University of Florida College of Education. P.K. Yonge is named in honor of Philip Keyes Yonge (1850–1934), who served 29 years on the

Florida Board of Control The Florida Board of Control (1905–1965) was the statewide governing body for the State University System of Florida, which included all public universities in the state of Florida. It was replaced by the Florida Board of Regents in 1965.< ...

(the former governing body for all Florida public universities), including 22 years as chairman of the board. At the beginning of the 2012–13 school year, P.K. Yonge opened a state-of-the-art elementary school building, and continues to work towards total campus revitalization. The second phase of campus revitalization ended with the opening of a state-of-the-art secondary school building in 2021.

Athletics

Teams at the school compete under the name "Blue Wave." Valerie Flournoy has been the athletic director since 2023. The boys' basketball program won the state championship in 1991. The girls have won state championships four times: 1981, 1983, 2010, and 2012. The school has also won state titles in boys' cross country (1980), boys' track and field (1965, 2005, 2006, 2007), girls' track and field (2005), and girls' volleyball (2000, 2002, 2014, 2015).

Performing Arts

P.K. Yonge's performing arts programs include a theatre department that hosts award-winning Thespian Troupe No. 4102 which competes yearly at Florida Thespian District 12 conferences and Florida State Thespian conferences. They have been known for presenting fall plays, spring musicals, and various public and student-created performance events. Students often audition for choirs.

The Blue Wave Marching Band and Color Guard

The marching band at P.K. Yonge has competed in Florida Marching Band Championships (FMBCs) since it was established in 1997 as the Florida Marching Band Coalition. It is currently directed by Robert Marski since the 2018–19 school year. At FMBC 2018, the marching band received sixth place, with percussion winning their caption. At FMBC 2021, The PKY Band made the finals for the first time in school history, and placed third overall in class 1A states. In 2022, they repeated the same success, finishing third in class 2A. In 2024, they competed in the FFCC Outdoor Championships and won 1st place in class 1A. The Color Guard marches as a part of the Blue Wave Marching Band, and also competes in the winter season as the P.K. Yonge Winterguard.

Branding

P.K. Yonge developed a new official brand during the 2014–15 school year. There are two logos, an administrative/academic logo and an athletics logo which depicts the school's Blue Wave.

Notable alumni

* Robert Baker – Auburn Tigers wide receiver *

Doug Dickey Douglas Adair Dickey (born June 24, 1932) is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where ...

–

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

coach * Chris Doering – Florida Gators wide receiver * Terry Jackson – Florida Gators running back * Willie Jackson – Florida Gators wide receiver * T. L. Latson (class of 1992) – professional basketball player * Randall Leath Florida Gators Basketball Player *

Stan Lynch Stanley Joseph Lynch (born May 21, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994. Early years Lynch was born in Cincinn ...

(class of 1973) - professional drummer, best known for work with

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1976. The band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer ...

* Travis McGriff – Florida Gators wide receiver * Sally Menke (class of 1972) – Oscar-nominated film editor *

Rodney Mullen John Rodney Mullen (born August 17, 1966) is an American professional skateboarder who practices freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding. He is considered the most influential skateboarder of all time. Mullen is credited for inventing ...

(class of 1984) – professional skateboarder * Bernie Parrish – NFL Championship cornerback (1964) * Derrick Robinson (class of 2006) - Cincinnati Reds outfielder * Fred Rothwell – NFL player *

Peter Small Peter Eltringham Small (born 13 February 1939) is an English former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Castleford RUFC, and representative le ...

– groundbreaking researcher on tuberculosis and AIDS * Ralph Turlington - Speaker of the Florida House (1966–1968) and Florida Commissioner of Education (1974–1986) * Jordan Williams – NFL player * Jack May (class of 1954) - Winner of 1975

Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash The Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, widely known as the Cannonball Baker or Cannonball Run, was an unofficial, unsanctioned automobile race run five times in the 1970s from New York City and Darien, Connecticut, on the Eas ...

References

External links

*
P. K. Yonge Library of Florida history
{{authority control High schools in Alachua County, Florida Educational institutions established in 1934 Public high schools in Florida Public middle schools in Florida Public elementary schools in Florida Laboratory schools in the United States University-affiliated schools in the United States 1934 establishments in Florida