- C. Leon King High School opened in 1960 with 58 staff members and 960 students. The school was named in honor of C. Leon King, a distinguished and respected member of the Hillsborough County Board of Public Instruction for 18 years.
- King High School is a traditional/hybrid magnet. It has one of the four International Baccalaureate programs in Hillsborough County, Florida. The IB program of King began in July, 1993. Eighty-nine percent of IB seniors earned the IB Diploma in 2009--one of the highest rates in the United States.
- The Class of 2010 includes 10 National Merit, three National Achievement, and three Hispanic semifinalists; Class of 2008 had the most National Merit finalists in the State of Florida.
- The King High School orchestral program has experienced great success in the last few years, and received a superior rating this year under a new director. The King Orchestra has maintained their status as the county's top orchestra program and was one of few schools in the state to receive straight superiors at State MPA.
- The King High School Marching Lions received straight superior ratings at Florida Bandmasters Association Marching Festival from 1973-2008.
- The King High School National Honor Society is the largest chapter in the State of Florida.
- Attractor programs include KAPS (King Advanced Placement Scholars), Robotics, Culinary Arts, Teaching Academy, and King's relationship with the University of South Florida as a Professional Development School.
- Students raised $107,000 for Relay For Life in April 2010. Relay For Life is a night of festivities and fundraising to benefit cancer research and patients. King was the first high school in the nation to raise over $100,000. In 2008, King students raised $93,000.
- King has been recognized by Newsweek Magazine as being among the top 10% of all high schools in America.
- Notable Alumni: Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, former Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Crews, former Major League Baseball player Derek Bell, professional golfer Gary Koch, former Major League Baseball player Calvin Pickering, 1988 Olympic Gold medalist 2nd baseman Ty Griffin, and Seth Zalkin, managing partner at The Astor Group.
