Best Public Schools in Zip Code 33610

Zip code 33610 in Tampa, Florida, is home to 19 schools within the Hillsborough County School District, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade across elementary, middle, high, and alternative schools, and faces significant educational challenges with a high average chronic absenteeism rate of 46.5% and a high level of economic need, as indicated by a 63.5% average free/reduced lunch rate.

The standout school in the area is Williams Middle Magnet School, a high-performing institution ranking in the top 15-20% of Florida middle schools with exceptional proficiency rates—95% in Algebra 1 and 97% in Geometry—and a low chronic absenteeism rate of 13.6%. At the high school level, Tampa Bay Technical High School leads with a near-perfect 99.1% graduation rate and strong subject scores, while Lomax Magnet Elementary School is the top elementary performer, with 5th-grade ELA proficiency at 69% and the lowest chronic absenteeism among non-magnet elementary schools. In contrast, most elementary schools, such as Robles Elementary School and Potter Elementary School, rank in the bottom 10% of Florida, highlighting a critical pipeline issue where students enter middle and high school already behind.

Key findings reveal that magnet schools like Williams Middle and Ferrell Middle Magnet School consistently outperform their peers, demonstrating the power of specialized programs. High spending does not guarantee success, as schools like Carver Exceptional Center ($72,074 per student) and The Collaboratory Preparatory Academy rank low, while Pepin Academies, serving students with learning disabilities, achieves a 94.3% graduation rate despite low test scores. Despite low academic performance, graduation rates at Middleton High School (86.8%) and King High School (90.9%) are surprisingly high, suggesting a disconnect between curriculum rigor and diploma requirements.