The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in Science. The lowest is 53% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mulrennan Middle School
Mulrennan Middle School sits on Durant Road in Valrico, an unincorporated community in eastern Hillsborough County that functions as a residential suburb between Brandon and the broader Tampa metro. The school serves grades six through eight as a regular public school within Hillsborough County Public Schools, and its enrollment puts it on the larger end for a middle school of its grade band.
The community itself is auto-dependent and organized around deed-restricted subdivisions, with commercial life strung along State Road 60 rather than any walkable center. Valrico is publicly described as a family-oriented place shaped by school schedules, weekend youth sports, and a history in citrus and agriculture that has given way to mature suburban neighborhoods. Large new construction is limited; the area is largely built out, with growth showing up more in infill and expanded retail than in sweeping new development. Civic anchors include the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library nearby, the Valrico Recreation Center, and access to county conservation lands to the south and east.
The housing market here is meaningfully above the Florida statewide median and well above the national median, making this a higher-cost zip code relative to both benchmarks. Home values have edged down slightly year over year, and rent has held roughly flat, so the market is cooling modestly from recent peaks but remains expensive by state and national standards. For homeowners in the district, a voter-approved property tax increase took effect in July 2025 and runs through 2029, publicly reported as generating a salary supplement for teachers and support staff to address staffing shortages. That adds a real annual cost families should factor into housing calculations.
On state testing through the Florida FAST assessments in 2024-25, Mulrennan's results are mixed across grades and subjects. Math proficiency in sixth grade and eighth grade came in at a solid majority of students, a genuinely encouraging result. Seventh-grade math, however, tells a different story: proficiency dropped sharply and substantially, well below the other two grade levels. That gap within a single school is unusual enough that a parent would reasonably want to ask the school directly about seventh-grade math supports, course placement, and what the pattern has looked like over time. ELA results were more consistent across the three grades, with roughly half to slightly above half of students scoring proficient at each level, placing the school in a middle range rather than at either extreme. Eighth-grade science, assessed through the Florida Statewide Science Assessment, also came in near the majority mark. Multi-year trend data was not available in the source material, so it is not possible to characterize whether results have been improving, declining, or holding steady.
Because Mulrennan serves only middle grades, a graduation rate does not apply to this school. Chronic absenteeism and staffing data were not available in the source material for this school.
Demographically, the school draws a White plurality and a substantial Hispanic enrollment, with smaller shares of Black students, multiracial students, and Asian students. A meaningful share of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, though the majority do not. Data on English learner enrollment and students served through individualized education programs was not reported in the source material, so the scope of those services is not visible here.
The comparison set for Hillsborough County contains only the one district, meaning no county-level peer comparison was possible for proficiency, graduation, or absenteeism metrics.
One structural issue parents in the district should know: Hillsborough County Public Schools approved a significant boundary rezoning for the 2024-25 school year, publicly reported as affecting dozens of schools and the assignments of a large number of students countywide. Families new to Valrico or considering a move should confirm current attendance zone assignments directly with the district, since those lines may differ from what older sources show.
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