Summary
Colson Elementary School in Seffner, FL, serves 511 students in grades PK-5 within the Hillsborough district, a school that has faced significant challenges in recent years. The school currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 26th percentile statewide, with about 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. While the school has seen some volatility in its performance over the past decade, it shows a relative strength in English Language Arts (ELA), where its 4th-grade proficiency rate of 58% was the second-highest among ten nearby schools, trailing only the high-performing Independence Academy (67%). This suggests that literacy instruction is a comparative bright spot, even as overall scores remain below average.
However, math is a critical weakness at Colson. In the most recent school year, 5th-grade math proficiency was just 39%, which is 19 points below both the state and district averages. This is a consistent trend, with 5th-grade math never exceeding 44% over the past three years. Another major concern is chronic absenteeism, which affects nearly one in three students (30.6%). While this rate has improved from a high of 36% in 2022-2023, it remains alarmingly high and makes it difficult for teachers to build consistent learning momentum. Interestingly, Colson spends more per student ($14,231) than any of its nine nearby neighbors, yet this higher investment has not translated into proportional academic gains, raising questions about how resources are being used.
On a positive note, 5th-grade science scores have shown an upward trend, rising from 45% to 55% over the past few years, though this metric has been volatile. When compared to Independence Academy, a school just three miles away that serves a much more affluent population and spends significantly less per student ($9,138), the contrast is stark. Independence Academy outperforms Colson in nearly every subject and grade level, highlighting the powerful link between socioeconomic factors and academic achievement. For parents, the key takeaway is that Colson must urgently address its math instruction and chronic absenteeism to reverse its long-term decline and better utilize its higher spending.
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