Summary:
This analysis examines five elementary schools in Tampa, FL (zip code 33625), all part of the Hillsborough school district, serving grades from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade with enrollments ranging from 170 to 1,154 students.
Northwest Elementary School is the clear standout, consistently ranking in the top 10% of Florida elementary schools with a 5-star rating and academic proficiency rates often 20-30 points above district and state averages. It also boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (14.9%) and a relatively low free/reduced lunch rate (29.94%). In contrast, Slam Academy Tampa Elementary faces significant challenges, ranking in the 15th percentile with the highest chronic absenteeism (47.1%), highest poverty rate (56.45%), and highest student-teacher ratio (31:1). Henderson Hammock Charter School presents a fascinating dichotomy: while its standard test scores are below average, its students taking advanced End-of-Course exams (Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology) achieve proficiency rates 20-30 points higher than the district, suggesting a highly effective program for its top students. Citrus Park Elementary School performs above average with the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.3:1) and highest per-student spending ($15,180), while Victory Charter School Tampa has a very low poverty rate (10%) but only mid-to-low performance (44th percentile), indicating other challenges are at play.
Key takeaways for parents include that higher spending does not guarantee better results—the top-performing school spends $11,550 per student while a mid-tier school spends the most. Chronic absenteeism is a powerful predictor of performance, with the two lowest-absenteeism schools being the top performers. The data reveals a wide performance gap, with a 76-percentile point range between the highest and lowest-ranked schools, making school choice critical in this area.
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