Mulrennan Middle School

Mulrennan Middle School in Valrico, FL, serves 1,027 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Hillsborough district, offering a solid, middle-of-the-pack performance with a 3-star rating from Schooldigger and a current state ranking in the 54th percentile.

Mulrennan is a school of contrasts, excelling in advanced coursework while struggling with grade-level math. It shines in End-of-Course (EOC) exams, with 89% of students proficient in Algebra 1 and 80% in Civics—dramatically higher than district and state averages and a key differentiator from lower-performing nearby schools like Burnett Middle School and Turkey Creek Middle School. However, 7th-grade math proficiency is a stark 26%, far below the state average of 53%, a persistent trend over three years that suggests a systemic challenge. This "7th-grade math cliff" is the school's most significant weakness, pulling down its overall ranking. In contrast, 6th and 8th-grade math scores are above district averages, highlighting a specific area for improvement.

Compared to nearby schools, Mulrennan occupies a unique middle ground. It is more affluent than lower-performing peers like Mann Middle School (61.51% free/reduced lunch) but less affluent than the top-performing Randall Middle School (14.28% free/reduced lunch), which is only 3.76 miles away and outperforms Mulrennan in nearly every metric. Chronic absenteeism at Mulrennan (27.3%) is a relative strength, lower than the district average (31.3%) and far better than schools like Mann (49.9%) and Giunta Middle School (48.5%). Per-student spending ($9,741) is higher than Randall ($8,469) but lower than higher-need schools like Burnett ($12,078), suggesting resources are used moderately. If Mulrennan can address its 7th-grade math challenge, it could significantly boost its ranking and compete with schools like Barrington Middle School and Burns Middle School for a higher star rating.