Summary
Giunta Middle School in Riverview, FL, is a public school serving 964 students in grades 6-8 within the Hillsborough district, where 63.69% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has faced significant challenges, earning a 1-star rating for most of the last decade and dropping to the 9th percentile in its most recent ranking, making it one of the lowest-performing middle schools in the state.
The most pressing issue at Giunta is its extreme chronic absenteeism rate of 48.5% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is dramatically higher than the district and state averages of about 31%. This rate far exceeds nearby schools like Progress Village Middle Magnet (28.3%) and Williams Middle Magnet (13.6%), both located just a few miles away. Academic performance mirrors this trend, with Giunta scoring below district and state averages in every subject and grade level on core assessments. For example, only 18% of 7th graders were proficient in math compared to 53% statewide, and just 27% of 8th graders passed science versus 52% statewide. This pattern has persisted for three years, indicating systemic issues rather than a temporary setback.
Interestingly, Giunta shows a bright spot in advanced math courses, where 69% of students passed Algebra 1 and 84% passed Geometry, outperforming state averages. However, this success contrasts sharply with the majority of students struggling in grade-level math, suggesting resources may be concentrated on a small, high-performing group. The school’s per-student spending of $10,797 is in the middle range compared to peers, indicating that funding alone isn’t the problem. The proximity of Progress Village Middle Magnet, just 1.35 miles away, which serves a similar community but achieves much higher scores (e.g., 70% vs. 35% in 6th grade ELA), underscores that Giunta’s challenges are likely tied to school-specific leadership, culture, and instructional practices that urgently need targeted intervention.
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