In 1996, Pasco County began implementing the first in a series of Philadelphia Model career academies, which the District called Learning Communities.

[5] Land O' Lakes High School started one of these, called the Academy of Business Technology (ABT).

[5] ABT started with ninth grade and employed integrated curricular instruction and real-life business contexts to teach college-level academics as well as job skills.

[6][7] Thompson later became Executive Director of the National Educator Program (NEP), implementing career academies like ABT throughout the United States and the first ever in Afghanistan, China and Uganda.

He replaced Monica Ilse, who was appointed principal of the new Anclote High School in Holiday, Florida (opened in August 2009).

In 2012, Land O' Lakes High School renamed its football stadium after coach John Benedetto, who led the Gators to 14 consecutive state playoffs.

Land O' Lakes is one of two high schools in Pasco County to offer the IB Diploma Programme.