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Independence Academy

Q: Is Independence Academy a good school?

Independence Academy ranks 1165 th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

1165^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 48% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Independence Academy is a public charter elementary and middle school located in Dover, Florida, serving 907 students in grades K-8. The school is part of the Hillsborough School District, which is ranked 49 out of 67 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past several years, Independence Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Florida elementary schools, with a ranking between 641 and 1522 out of around 2,200 schools.

One of the key areas of concern for Independence Academy is its significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to the Hillsborough district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's chronic absenteeism rate was 31.4%, compared to 31.3% the previous year and 26.9% the year before that. However, the school does outperform the district and state in several End-of-Course (EOC) exams, including Geometry, Biology 1, and Civics. Additionally, the school's 5th-grade science proficiency rates are higher than the district and state, but their 8th-grade science proficiency rates are significantly lower.

Another notable finding is the increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Independence Academy, from 16.65% in 2021-2022 to 45.42% in 2023-2024. This suggests a growing population of economically disadvantaged students at the school. When compared to nearby schools in the Hillsborough district, Independence Academy is performing better than some lower-performing schools, such as Mango Elementary and Thonotosassa Elementary, but still lags behind higher-performing schools like Walden Lake Elementary and Lopez Elementary.

811

Students ?

20.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,138

Per pupil spending ?

15.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12902 E Us Highway 92
Dover, FL 33527

(813) 473-8600

District: Hillsborough

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.4%

Hispanic:

32.9%

African American:

6.7%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Independence Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 32nd percentile in 2023 → 48th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 48th (2025) from a 32nd-percentile low (2023)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg55%

Florida avg59%

Elementary school

1,165^th of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From top 31% (2016) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

554^th of 1,205

Florida public middle schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 11 pts since 2019

From bottom 43% (2019) to top 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

64^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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2025	47.7	1165 of 2258	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.9	1145 of 2256	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.1	1522 of 2240	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.2	1464 of 2219	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.5	1353 of 2247	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.4	901 of 2182	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.0	1058 of 2118	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.5	814 of 2112	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.2	641 of 2087	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.6	895 of 2064	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.9	861 of 2029	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	49.8	1001 of 1984	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	48.4	1088 of 1985	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.4	810 of 1919	57.8%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2025	52.6	554 of 1205	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.7	532 of 1196	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.2	574 of 1177	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.3	610 of 1148	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.9	641 of 1136	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.0	629 of 1099	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Civics93%+22 vs state

Biology 189%+18 vs state

Geometry71%+16 vs state

English Language Arts60%+3 vs state

Math57%~ state avg

Algebra 156%-4 vs state

Science45%-7 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, July 24, 2017

My daughters attended last year (1st & 2nd grade) and will attend again this year. We love this school and the teachers and staff that work there. It really feels like a family and the staff go above and beyond to care for our children! We love the clubs and the after school program as well as the summer camp offered to students. The only con is the drop off line at the beginning of the year taking some time. However now I know that will pass in a few weeks :) Close Quote

Schools Near Independence Academy

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 Geometry (2025)	EOC Biology 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 Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Independence Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	12902 E Us Highway 92	Dover	33527	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 473-8600	811	40	20.2	15.8%	433 (53.4%)	54 (6.7%)	267 (32.9%)	20 (2.5%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.6%)	30 (3.7%)	47.7	1165^th of 2258 public elementary schools	48.4%		47.9	1145^th of 2256 public elementary schools	49.2%	20	63.0	55.0	64.0	53.0	68.0	56.0	58.0	52.0	50.0	48.0	66.0	70.0	64.0	20.0	56.0	71.0	89.0	93.0	$9,138	$60	$9,079
Bailey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4630 Gallagher Rd	Dover	33527	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 707-7531	719	45	15.8	63.1%	295 (41.0%)	26 (3.6%)	365 (50.8%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.8%)	23.8	1803^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	20.2%		18	1957^th of 2256 public elementary schools	13.3%	154	34.0	34.0	43.0				45.0	47.0	54.0				42.0						$11,783	$1,482	$10,300
Lopez Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	200 N Kingsway Rd	Seffner	33584	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8000	511	34	14.9	63.2%	192 (37.6%)	82 (16.0%)	202 (39.5%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.7%)	41.4	1314^th of 2258 public elementary schools	41.8%		40.9	1317^th of 2256 public elementary schools	41.6%	3	56.0	59.0	42.0				45.0	60.0	45.0				60.0						$13,846	$1,989	$11,857
McDonald Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 W Pruett Rd	Seffner	33584	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8154	526	35	15.2	74.0%	211 (40.1%)	73 (13.9%)	189 (35.9%)	9 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.2%)	35.6	1483^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	34.3%		27.3	1705^th of 2256 public elementary schools	24.4%	222	37.0	48.0	55.0				40.0	56.0	70.0				49.0						$13,592	$2,360	$11,233
Dover Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3035 Nelson Ave	Dover	33527	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 757-9457	530	32	16.6	71.5%	25 (4.7%)	9 (1.7%)	494 (93.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	16.1	2011^th of 2258 public elementary schools	10.9%		22.6	1835^th of 2256 public elementary schools	18.7%	176	36.0	27.0	32.0				37.0	49.0	46.0				37.0						$12,573	$1,712	$10,862
Colson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1520 Lakeview Ave	Seffner	33584	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8031	511	33	15.6	60.1%	141 (27.6%)	105 (20.5%)	235 (46.0%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.9%)	20.7	1884^th of 2258 public elementary schools	16.6%		30.2	1613^th of 2256 public elementary schools	28.5%	271	47.0	41.0	35.0				46.0	47.0	39.0				37.0						$14,231	$1,949	$12,282
Seffner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	109 Cactus Rd	Seffner	33584	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8171	437	22	20.2	55.6%	104 (23.8%)	74 (16.9%)	223 (51.0%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	23 (5.3%)	13.9	2062^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	8.7%		31.4	1579^th of 2256 public elementary schools	30.0%	483	52.0	34.0	31.0				39.0	32.0	31.0				25.0						$11,946	$1,455	$10,491
Mango Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4220 Hwy 579	Seffner	33584	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8208	740	45	16.4	72.2%	101 (13.6%)	274 (37.0%)	325 (43.9%)	8 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.2%)	9.2	2163^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	4.2%		10.4	2146^th of 2256 public elementary schools	4.9%	17	37.0	34.0	25.0				42.0	34.0	27.0				19.0						$12,943	$2,145	$10,798
Cork Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3501 N Cork Rd	Plant City	33565	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 757-9353	715	46	15.6	58.0%	317 (44.3%)	15 (2.1%)	363 (50.8%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.2%)	26.6	1738^th of 2258 public elementary schools	23.0%		33.1	1537^th of 2256 public elementary schools	31.9%	201	39.0	37.0	52.0				43.0	34.0	57.0				45.0						$11,784	$1,499	$10,285
Thonotosassa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10050 Skewlee Rd	Thonotosassa	33592	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 987-6987	405	21	19.1	76.8%	144 (35.6%)	101 (24.9%)	124 (30.6%)	11 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.9%)	13.4	2074^th of 2258 public elementary schools	8.1%		29.3	1642^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	27.2%	432	30.0	33.0	33.0				50.0	41.0	36.0				27.0						$12,893	$1,706	$11,187

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Academy

How many students attend Independence Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 811 students attended Independence Academy.

Is Independence Academy a good school?

Independence Academy ranks 1165^th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Academy?

Students at Independence Academy are 53% White, 33% Hispanic, 7% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Independence Academy in?

Hillsborough

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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.