Best Elementary Schools in Brandon, FL

There are six elementary schools serving grades PK through 5 in Brandon, Florida, all part of the Hillsborough school district, which holds a 2-star rating and ranks 45th out of 70 districts in the state.

Brooker Elementary School stands out as the top performer, earning a 4-star rating and exceeding both district and state averages in every subject, including a 70% 5th-grade Math proficiency rate that is 12 points above the state average. Limona Elementary School shows strong improvement, with 5th-grade ELA scores jumping from 52% to 71% and Science scores rising from 53% to 66%. In contrast, Yates Elementary School, Schmidt Elementary School, and Kingswood Elementary School consistently rank in the bottom 12th percentile with 0 or 1-star ratings, facing high chronic absenteeism (over 42%) and poverty rates (over 70%). Mintz Elementary School is an anomaly, having the lowest chronic absenteeism (24.3%) and moderate poverty (58.81%) yet ranking in the bottom 22nd percentile with a 1-star rating, suggesting internal factors may be hindering performance.

Key metrics reveal a strong link between poverty, absenteeism, and performance: the top three schools have the lowest poverty rates (46.79% to 58.81%) and absenteeism (24.3% to 28.8%), while the bottom three have the highest poverty (70.26% to 73%) and absenteeism (42.4% to 45.3%). Notably, higher spending does not guarantee success—Schmidt Elementary School spends the most per student ($13,179) but is low-performing, while Brooker Elementary School spends the least ($11,666) and excels. Additionally, Brooker and Limona show particular strength in 5th-grade Science, both exceeding the state average of 60%.