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Buckhorn Elementary School

Q: Is Buckhorn Elementary School a good school?

Buckhorn Elementary School ranks 832 nd of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

832^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Buckhorn Elementary School is a public elementary school in Valrico, Florida, serving 686 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Hillsborough County School District. The school consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic assessments, with its 4th-grade students achieving 83% proficiency in FAST Math, significantly higher than the Hillsborough (59%) and Florida (62%) averages. Buckhorn's 5th-grade students also excelled in Statewide Science, with 59% proficiency compared to 50% in Hillsborough and 55% statewide.

However, Buckhorn Elementary faces a concerning challenge with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.2% to 31.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school also has a moderate level of economic disadvantage, with 36.88% to 47.3% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in recent years. Interestingly, nearby Lithia Springs Elementary consistently outperforms Buckhorn and other nearby schools in both English Language Arts and Math assessments, ranking among the top 20% of Florida elementary schools.

Despite these challenges, Buckhorn Elementary has demonstrated a commitment to investing in its resources and programs, with per-student spending increasing from $9,416 in 2021-2022 to $11,725 in 2023-2024. The school also maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.5 to 15 students per teacher, which is favorable for providing personalized attention and support to students. Overall, Buckhorn Elementary stands out as a relatively high-performing institution within the Hillsborough County School District, but addressing the chronic absenteeism and socioeconomic diversity of the student population presents opportunities for further improvement.

667

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,533

Per pupil spending ?

38.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2420 Buckhorn School Ct
Valrico, FL 33594

(813) 744-8240

District: Hillsborough

Students who attend Buckhorn Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mulrennan Middle School
High:	Durant High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.7%

Hispanic:

31.3%

African American:

10.2%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Buckhorn Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2014 → 63rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Florida median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school63%

District avg54%

Florida avg58%

832^nd of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

50^th of 176Elementary Schools in the Hillsborough

49^th of 67Hillsborough among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2025	61.9	832 of 2258	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.8	487 of 2256	78.4%	★★★★☆
2023	75.6	494 of 2240	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	69.1	642 of 2219	71.1%	★★★★☆
2021	71.0	621 of 2247	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	64.7	743 of 2182	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.4	524 of 2118	75.3%	★★★★☆
2017	72.6	564 of 2112	73.3%	★★★★☆
2016	76.1	462 of 2087	77.9%	★★★★☆
2014	73.4	496 of 2064	76.0%	★★★★☆
2013	62.7	730 of 2029	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.6	680 of 1984	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	73.1	520 of 1985	73.8%	★★★★☆
2010	82.1	278 of 1919	85.5%	★★★★☆
2009	86.6	176 of 1847	90.5%	★★★★★
2008	78.5	342 of 1789	80.9%	★★★★☆
2007	85.5	202 of 1786	88.7%	★★★★☆
2006	85.1	210 of 1688	87.6%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Math67%+6 vs state

English Language Arts60%+4 vs state

Science59%+4 vs state

3.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, September 10, 2021

I have two children who attend Buckhorn and we absolutely love the school, staff, and teachers! Everyone we have ever come in contact with truly cares about the success of their students. They are community orientated and the PTA is very involved. We wouldn't send our kids anywhere else! Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Buckhorn has great amount of money and donations from the PTA. But, for the education part would be scored as below average. The teachers have their hands tied when teaching within the classroom. Teachers are unable to teach grammar, spelling, correct way to solve math equations. They also do not focus on History and Science in the classrooms until second quarter then is but on hold again until the last quarter of school. This school is more focused on testing the children then teaching the children how to read, write and conduct math problems.

Examples of our frustrations:

Math is being taught is a different way of drawing dots instead of solving the problems through proven mathematical steps.

Buckhorn only teaches Florida History until they get into middle school. My child came home the other day and explained to me that the Ponce de León discovered America. I had to explain yes they landed in Florida first but the United States was developed in New England and the Florida became a state in 1895. So the discovery of America was done by the Pilgrims which developed the country so called the United States of America.

Buckhorn lacks constant focus in regards to English. They do not teach phonics nor spelling. In third grade the except all children to write paragraphs but yet they do not teach the basic foundation of grammar of the English language. When asking the past 5 years why the school does not teach spelling or grammar the school has explained most of the children will be writing on the computers in which has spell check. This comment has been made from teachers, vice principal and principal.

Our family has given 5 years to this school, but the only way my child has been able to succeed to pass the grades is by tutoring for proper instruction and home schooling at night. As our next child is enter elementary school we will be moving all children to another school due to the lack of support for my child in the past 5 years.

I hope this helps out any other parents looking to place their children in school. Close Quote

Schools Near Buckhorn Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)						FAST Math (2025)						Statewide Science Science (2025)		EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Civics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Buckhorn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2420 Buckhorn School Ct	Valrico	33594	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-8240	667	46	14.6	38.2%	325 (48.7%)	68 (10.2%)	209 (31.3%)	14 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	47 (7.0%)	61.9	832^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	63.2%		76.8	487^th of 2256 public elementary schools	78.4%	345	53.0	70.0	57.0				49.0	83.0	69.0				59.0				$12,533	$1,312	$11,221
Valrico Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	609 S Miller Rd	Valrico	33594	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-6777	733	50	14.7	46.1%	294 (40.1%)	90 (12.3%)	281 (38.3%)	22 (3.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.1%)	78.6	439^th of 2258 public elementary schools	80.6%		78	459^th of 2256 public elementary schools	79.7%	20	74.0	65.0	70.0				78.0	72.0	70.0				66.0				$12,313	$939	$11,375
Alafia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3535 Culbreath Rd	Valrico	33596	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-8190	568	41	13.9	26.6%	280 (49.3%)	41 (7.2%)	191 (33.6%)	9 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	43 (7.6%)	77.8	455^th of 2258 public elementary schools	79.8%		63	797^th of 2256 public elementary schools	64.7%	342	70.0	60.0	68.0				69.0	71.0	79.0				81.0				$12,726	$916	$11,811
Brooker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	812 Dewolf Rd	Brandon	33511	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-8184	686	46	14.8	46.8%	287 (41.8%)	77 (11.2%)	242 (35.3%)	32 (4.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.6%)	58.5	917^th of 2258 public elementary schools	59.4%		69.1	657^th of 2256 public elementary schools	70.9%	260	59.0	58.0	62.0				58.0	73.0	61.0				53.0				$11,666	$1,271	$10,395
Navigator Academy Of Leadership Valrico	Public, Charter	K-8	1101 E Bloomingdale Ave	Valrico	33596	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 603-9340	906	36	25.5	9.3%	268 (29.6%)	148 (16.3%)	390 (43.0%)	57 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (4.6%)	44.5	1235^th of 2258 public elementary schools	45.3%		55.4	959^th of 2256 public elementary schools	57.5%	276	58.0	67.0	48.0	57.0	57.0	70.0	56.0	76.0	44.0	33.0	56.0	53.0	37.0	57.0	82.0	64.0	$7,239	$393	$6,846
Nelson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5413 Durant Rd	Dover	33527	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 651-2120	630	36	17.5	48.1%	235 (37.3%)	99 (15.7%)	231 (36.7%)	27 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (5.7%)	34.5	1517^th of 2258 public elementary schools	32.8%		47.7	1151^st of 2256 public elementary schools	49.0%	366	54.0	50.0	49.0				47.0	47.0	49.0				46.0				$11,830	$1,412	$10,418
Cimino Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4329 Culbreath Rd	Valrico	33596	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 740-4450	789	55	14.2	30.4%	416 (52.7%)	66 (8.4%)	234 (29.7%)	22 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (6.5%)	72.5	571^st of 2258 public elementary schools	74.7%		74.1	543^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	75.9%	28	68.0	70.0	59.0				77.0	75.0	70.0				52.0				$11,821	$1,031	$10,789
Lithia Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4332 Lynx Paw Trl	Valrico	33596	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-8016	609	39	15.6	24.6%	402 (66.0%)	22 (3.6%)	95 (15.6%)	45 (7.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	42 (6.9%)	84.5	300^th of 2258 public elementary schools	86.7%		90.4	163^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	92.8%	137	71.0	65.0	74.0				82.0	81.0	76.0				76.0				$10,910	$800	$10,111
Yates Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Kingsway Rd	Brandon	33510	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8177	548	35	15.8	70.3%	114 (20.8%)	117 (21.4%)	280 (51.1%)	6 (1.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (5.1%)	16.8	1989^th of 2258 public elementary schools	11.9%		8.5	2180^th of 2256 public elementary schools	3.4%	191	39.0	29.0	44.0				27.0	23.0	51.0				38.0				$12,912	$1,972	$10,940
Kingswood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3102 S Kings Ave	Brandon	33511	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8234	437	28	15.8	73.0%	90 (20.6%)	132 (30.2%)	189 (43.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.3%)	15.8	2017^th of 2258 public elementary schools	10.7%		13.1	2085^th of 2256 public elementary schools	7.6%	68	31.0	30.0	36.0				39.0	38.0	51.0				39.0				$12,323	$1,651	$10,673

Frequently Asked Questions about Buckhorn Elementary School

How many students attend Buckhorn Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 667 students attended Buckhorn Elementary School.

Is Buckhorn Elementary School a good school?

Buckhorn Elementary School ranks 832^nd of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Buckhorn Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Buckhorn Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mulrennan Middle School
High : Durant High School

What district is Buckhorn Elementary School in?

Hillsborough

What is the racial makeup of Buckhorn Elementary School?

Students at Buckhorn Elementary School are 49% White, 31% Hispanic, 10% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.