Summary:
Zip code 33547 in Lithia, FL, is home to two middle schools, Randall Middle School and Barrington Middle School, both serving grades 6 through 8 within the Hillsborough school district.
Randall Middle School is the standout school in this area, consistently outperforming Barrington Middle School across nearly every metric. Randall ranks in the top 10% of Florida middle schools (91st percentile) with a 5-star rating, while Barrington ranks in the 62nd percentile with a 3-star rating. Randall’s average ELA proficiency is 82% compared to Barrington’s 64%, and its average math proficiency is 74.7% versus 57.7%. In advanced coursework, Randall achieves 99% proficiency in Algebra 1 and 100% in Geometry. Randall also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (16.0% vs. 30.5%) and a better student-teacher ratio (21.1:1 vs. 25.8:1).
A key takeaway is that both schools struggle with 7th grade math, where proficiency drops significantly—Randall falls to 52% and Barrington to 32%—suggesting a systemic challenge in the curriculum. Additionally, Barrington Middle School has a higher percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (32.71% vs. 14.28% at Randall), which often correlates with lower test scores and higher absenteeism. While Randall spends slightly more per student ($8,469 vs. $8,270), the performance gap is substantial, indicating that factors like school culture and parental involvement play a major role. For parents, Randall offers a consistently high-performing environment, while Barrington, though above district averages, has clear areas for improvement, particularly in attendance and 7th grade math.
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