The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Math. The lowest is 40% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Pinecrest Elementary School
Pinecrest Elementary sits on Lithia Pinecrest Road in Lithia, a fast-growing unincorporated community in southeastern Hillsborough County. The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Hillsborough district. Its setting is shaped by the same forces defining Lithia broadly: master-planned residential growth, a predominantly family-oriented population, and a housing market that runs well above both state and national medians. Home values in the zip code have dipped slightly year over year but remain at a level that puts the area well out of reach for many buyers. Rents have also eased modestly but stay elevated relative to typical household incomes, with rent-to-income figures that a prospective renter would want to examine carefully.
The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up a meaningful share and smaller representations of Black, multiracial, and Asian students. A substantial majority of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a noteworthy characteristic given the area's generally affluent housing profile and suggests that the school draws from a broader socioeconomic range than the surrounding real estate might imply. Data on English learner status and students with IEPs was not available in the records reviewed.
On Florida's FAST assessments, Pinecrest's results are mixed and sit below where many families in an area like this might hope to see them. In the third and fourth grades, math proficiency hovers around the midpoint of the state's scale, which means roughly half of students tested are meeting the bar. Fifth-grade math and ELA results are noticeably lower, with fewer than half of students reaching proficiency. Science scores at fifth grade mirror the ELA pattern. ELA proficiency in third and fourth grades runs just below the math figures for those same grades. A parent wanting to understand the trajectory of reading and math skills across the elementary years should ask the school directly about what targeted supports are in place, particularly as students approach fifth grade where the numbers are softer. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to characterize whether these results represent improvement or decline.
Because the comparison set for Hillsborough County contained only one district, a meaningful peer comparison was not possible from the available data.
Pinecrest is part of a district that has seen significant structural change. Hillsborough approved a major rezoning that took effect for the current school year, affecting a large number of schools and potentially reassigning many students. Families should confirm that their current or anticipated address still maps to Pinecrest rather than assuming continuity. Additionally, Hillsborough County voters approved a property tax referendum in late 2024 that runs through mid-2029, designed to raise teacher and support staff pay. For homeowners in the Pinecrest attendance zone, this adds a recurring cost worth factoring into housing budgets. The intent is to address teacher shortages, which is a long-standing issue for large Florida districts and something families may want to ask about at the school level in terms of staffing stability.
Lithia itself is still actively developing. FishHawk Ranch West and several newer residential enclaves are under construction or planned, meaning enrollment in the surrounding schools could continue to shift. The area's outdoor amenities, including the Alafia River corridor, Lithia Springs Conservation Park, and an extensive trail network within FishHawk Ranch, give the community a character distinct from more urbanized parts of the Tampa Bay region. Transit to Tampa is limited to a peak-hour commuter bus route, so the area is functionally car-dependent for most residents.
Program-specific offerings at Pinecrest were not available in the data reviewed, so it is not possible to characterize enrichment, arts, or specialty programming.
See more original research from School Decision →