Summary:
Zip code 33592 in Thonotosassa, Florida, is served by two public elementary schools, Folsom Elementary School and Thonotosassa Elementary School, both part of the Hillsborough County School District, and both face significant challenges with high poverty rates and a critical chronic absenteeism crisis.
Folsom Elementary School is the stronger performer in the area, ranking in the 26th percentile statewide for the 2025-2026 school year, compared to Thonotosassa Elementary School which ranks in the very bottom 4th percentile. Folsom shows a notable bright spot in 4th grade, where 64% of students are proficient in math (nearly matching the state average) and 62% are proficient in ELA (slightly above the state average). However, this success is inconsistent across other grades. In contrast, Thonotosassa Elementary has experienced a sharp decline from the 27th percentile just two years ago, and its test scores are uniformly low across all subjects and grades. This underperformance is especially concerning given that Thonotosassa spends $1,090 more per student ($12,893) than Folsom ($11,803), suggesting the higher spending is not translating into better academic results.
The most critical shared issue is that both schools have an identical chronic absenteeism rate of 47.9%, which is dramatically higher than the district and state averages of about 31%. This means nearly half of all students are missing too much school, which is likely the biggest barrier to learning. Additionally, 5th-grade science is a universal weakness, with only 43% of Folsom students and 29% of Thonotosassa students proficient, compared to 60% statewide. For parents, this data highlights that while Folsom offers some pockets of academic strength, both schools are struggling significantly with attendance and overall performance, requiring careful consideration and active engagement with school leadership.
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