Gulf High School opened on September 18, 1922, with an initial enrollment of 39 students and a faculty of three teachers.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the sports teams were nicknamed the "Cooties,"[4] from a shortened name for the Pithlachascotee River, on which the school was situated.

However, the 1941-42 football team had a 9–1 record and won the Gulf Coast Conference championship.

[10] In April 2007, the International Baccalaureate Organization approved a diploma program for Gulf High School.

The GHS color guard has earned a "Superior" rating 12 of the last 15 years at the district-wide assessment.