The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in Math. The lowest is 37% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Bailey Elementary School
Bailey Elementary sits on Gallagher Road in Dover, an unincorporated community in eastern Hillsborough County where strawberry farms, cattle pasture, and newer residential subdivisions share the SR 60 corridor between Brandon and Plant City. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public elementary in the Hillsborough County School District. There is no high school graduation rate to report here, since the school does not serve those grades.
The student body is a mix that reflects the community around it: Hispanic and Latino students make up close to half the enrollment, white students make up most of the remainder, and smaller shares of Black, multiracial, and Asian students round out the population. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which tells you this is a community of predominantly working-class and lower-income families. Data on English learner and special education populations were not available in what we received.
On Florida's FAST assessments in the most recent school year, proficiency rates across grades three through five were below the midpoint in both math and ELA. Math results were somewhat stronger than ELA, and fifth grade showed the highest rates within each subject. Science proficiency at the fifth grade was in a similar range. These are meaningful gaps from statewide norms, and parents who want to understand what the school is doing to move those numbers would be well served by asking directly about intervention programs and instructional supports. Trend data was not available, so there is no basis here to say whether results are improving, holding steady, or declining.
Program details were not available in the data we received, so there is nothing to report about enrichment offerings, gifted services, or specific instructional approaches beyond what the school or district communicates directly.
Dover itself is car-dependent and low-density, organized around highway corridors rather than any walkable center. There is no downtown, no city government, and no branch library surfaced in research. The school sits on a campus separate from any commercial area, which is typical for the community's rural fabric. The area is growing: publicly reported accounts describe proposals to convert a former phosphate mine and county landfill near SR 60 into a large residential development, which has drawn concern from existing residents about whether roads and schools can absorb that growth. Families considering buying in Dover should weigh that trajectory.
Housing near the school runs well above the statewide median but also above the national median. A standard purchase at current prices and mortgage rates carries a monthly obligation that, based on income benchmarks, would represent a real stretch for many households. Home values in the ZIP code showed a modest year-over-year decline, while Florida as a whole declined more sharply. Rental cost data was not available for this immediate area.
Two district-level changes are worth knowing. Hillsborough County voters approved a multi-year property tax millage in late 2024 to fund teacher and staff pay supplements, running through mid-2029. This raises annual costs for homeowners but is aimed at stabilizing staffing, which has been a structural issue across the district. Separately, the district passed a major boundary rezoning for the 2024-2025 school year affecting a large number of schools and students countywide. Families should confirm their current assignment, since the redistricting was extensive and assignments that were accurate before may have shifted.
Bailey Elementary fits a family looking for a neighborhood public school in a rural-suburban setting with a heavily bilingual community, at a price point that is accessible relative to Tampa proper but still demands planning at current rates. The academic results as reported are an area to probe further with the school before enrolling.
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