King High School to Phase Out IB Program, Introduce New AI and Cybersecurity Magnet
King High School in Hillsborough County will discontinue its International Baccalaureate (IB) program, with the last class graduating in 2030. The school plans to introduce a new magnet program focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Computing, set to launch…

Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, October 6, 2026 —
King High School, located in Hillsborough County, has announced plans to discontinue its International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The transition will be gradual, with the last class of IB students scheduled to graduate in 2030.
Concurrently, the school is preparing to launch a new magnet program designed to focus on emerging technological fields. This new program is slated to begin in 2028 and will concentrate on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Computing.
The discontinuation of the established IB program signals a shift in the school’s academic offerings, aiming to align with evolving educational priorities and workforce demands in technology. The new magnet program will provide students with specialized training and educational pathways in fields that are experiencing significant growth.
Further details regarding the specific curriculum for the AI, Cybersecurity, and Computing magnet program, as well as the transition plan for current IB students, were not immediately available. The exact timeline for the introduction of new courses and the phasing out of existing IB curriculum components beyond the final graduation year was also not provided.
The school district’s decision reflects a broader trend in educational institutions to adapt and introduce programs that prepare students for the future job market, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines.
Story summarized from the original created by By Divya Kumar, Times staff on www.tampabay.com, see more information here.
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