Summary:
The 10 schools in Tampa's 33619 zip code, serving elementary through high school grades within the Hillsborough and Idea Public Schools districts, present a landscape of stark contrasts, where high poverty and chronic absenteeism are common challenges, yet a few standout schools demonstrate that strong academic outcomes are achievable.
The clear academic leader is Progress Village Middle Magnet, a 3-star school ranking in the 66th percentile statewide with exceptional test scores—including 100% proficiency in Geometry—and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate among traditional public schools. In stark contrast, Dowdell Middle Magnet School struggles in the 10th percentile with a 45.7% absenteeism rate. Among elementary schools, Kenly Elementary School is the most improved, jumping from the 4th to the 44th percentile in two years, while Palm River Elementary School and Clair-Mel Elementary School remain in the bottom 4th percentile with test scores 20-30 points below state averages. The Literacy/Leadership/Technology Academy is a unique outlier, with only 8.7% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch and strong Civics and Geometry scores, while Idea Hope shows pockets of strength in Algebra 1 despite a 59.9% chronic absenteeism rate.
Key metrics reveal systemic issues: the median poverty rate is 71.9%, and the average chronic absenteeism rate of 42.3% far exceeds the state average of 31.4%. Spending varies dramatically, from $8,906 at Dowdell Middle to $23,903 at Falkenburg Road Jail, a specialized high school with a 5.9% graduation rate. The most important takeaway for parents is that while schools like Bing Elementary School and Lamb Elementary face significant hurdles, the success of Progress Village Middle Magnet and Kenly Elementary proves that targeted interventions and magnet programs can create islands of excellence even in a challenging environment.
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