The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Math. The lowest is 25% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Palm River Elementary School
Palm River Elementary sits on Maydell Drive in Tampa's 33619 zip code, a residential area east of downtown. It serves prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in Hillsborough County. The school is a relatively small neighborhood elementary, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and Black. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making this one of the more economically concentrated schools in the district's large urban system. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs were not available in the materials reviewed.
The academic picture warrants honest attention. Florida's FAST assessments in reading and math, reported for third through fifth grade, show proficiency rates that sit well below state midpoints across every tested grade and subject. In reading, fewer than a third of students at each grade level tested as proficient, with fifth grade coming in lowest. Math results are similar, with fourth grade the weakest point and fifth grade showing slightly stronger performance, though still well below what would be typical for a Florida elementary. Fifth-grade science results from the Florida Statewide Science Assessment mirror this pattern. Multi-year trend data were not available, so it is not possible to say from these materials whether the school is moving in a positive or negative direction. Parents who want to understand what the school is doing specifically to address these outcomes, and what academic supports are available for their child, would be well served by asking the school directly.
No program offerings were listed in the data, and information on specialty tracks, extended learning, or enrichment activities was not included in the materials. Course access and staffing data were also absent, so those aspects of the school environment cannot be characterized here.
The housing market immediately around the school, in its zip code, sits meaningfully below both the Florida state median home value and the national median. Year-over-year home values in the area have dipped modestly, and rents have been essentially flat. Compared to the broader Tampa market, this is an affordable entry point, though mortgage costs relative to income remain a stretch at current rates. Tampa as a city is undergoing substantial growth and development, centered on downtown and adjacent corridors like Water Street and the emerging Gasworx district connecting Ybor City to Channelside. That investment has not yet translated uniformly across all neighborhoods, and the area around Palm River remains one of the more working-class parts of the city.
Two district-level changes are worth knowing. Voters approved a one-mill property tax referendum in late 2024, running through 2029, that raises teacher and support staff pay. Homeowners in Hillsborough County will see a direct increase in their property tax bill as a result. The district also completed a major boundary rezoning for 2024-2025, changing attendance lines for a substantial number of schools and potentially shifting large numbers of students. Families should confirm their current zoning assignment directly with Hillsborough County Schools, since what was true in prior years may not apply now.
The comparison framework for this school relative to other Hillsborough County districts could not be fully computed because there is only one district in the county comparison pool, so no meaningful relative positioning is available for proficiency, graduation rate, or absenteeism. Graduation rate does not apply here, as the school serves only elementary grades.
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