Summary:
This analysis covers 11 schools in Tampa's 33647 zip code, all part of the Hillsborough County School District, which ranks in the 36th percentile statewide, and includes seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools.
The elementary schools in this area are a clear strength, with six out of seven earning 4 or 5 stars. Pride Elementary School stands out as the top performer, ranking in the 94th percentile with Math and English Language Arts proficiency rates between 78-87%, the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (21.94%), and low chronic absenteeism (19.6%). In contrast, Heritage Elementary School and Tampa Palms Elementary School have the highest spending per student ($15,045 and $13,662, respectively) but rank lowest among elementary schools, showing that higher funding does not guarantee better outcomes. At the middle school level, Benito Middle School is the highest-ranked, placing in the 67th percentile with exceptional advanced coursework—98% proficiency in Algebra 1 and 100% in Geometry. Turner-Bartels K-8 School is also a standout for advanced math, achieving 95% proficiency in Geometry and 85% in Algebra 1.
A significant concern is the performance drop at the secondary level. While elementary schools thrive, both high schools rank in the bottom half of the state, largely due to severe chronic absenteeism—Freedom High School at 48.4% and Wharton High School at 43.8%. Despite this, Freedom High School boasts a 93.1% graduation rate, exceeding both district (90.9%) and state (92.2%) averages, while Wharton's graduation rate is lower at 86.9%. A curious pattern emerges in 7th-grade Math, where all three middle schools show a dramatic proficiency drop—for example, at Turner-Bartels, 6th-grade Math is 59% but 7th-grade Math plummets to 18%—suggesting a curriculum or assessment challenge at that grade level.
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