Schools in Zip Code 33613

Zip code 33613 in Tampa, Florida, is home to four schools within the Hillsborough County School District, serving elementary through high school grades in a community facing significant socioeconomic challenges.

Muller Elementary Magnet School is the standout performer in the area, achieving the highest state ranking and being the only school where students meet or exceed district and state averages in multiple subjects. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 20% is dramatically lower than the district average of 31.3%, indicating a more engaged student body. In contrast, Building Construction Academy at Bowers Whitley faces extreme challenges, with a critically low graduation rate of 65.2% and a chronic absenteeism rate of 61.2%, despite spending $36,472 per student—nearly three times more than other area schools. Mort Elementary School shows a bright spot in 4th-grade math proficiency at 70%, while Buchanan Middle School struggles with proficiency rates well below state averages across core subjects.

The data reveals that chronic absenteeism is the defining challenge for this zip code, strongly correlating with lower academic performance across all schools. While all schools serve high-poverty populations, with free or reduced-price lunch eligibility ranging from 61% to 69%, the magnet program at Muller Elementary appears to foster stronger school culture and family engagement. The paradox of Building Construction Academy—where high spending and low student-teacher ratios fail to produce results—underscores that addressing root causes like absenteeism is more critical than resource allocation alone. Despite overall challenges, targeted strengths in math at Mort and Muller elementary schools demonstrate that specific instructional strategies can achieve success even in difficult environments.