The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 55% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Patricia Sullivan Metropolitan Ministries Partnership Schoo
Patricia Sullivan Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School sits on East Palm Avenue in downtown Tampa, steps from the Hillsborough River and the corridor that connects Tampa Heights with the city's civic core. The address places it inside one of the most actively redeveloping stretches of the city, where Water Street Tampa and the emerging Gasworx district are reshaping the urban fabric within walking distance. The school is a regular public elementary serving kindergarten through fifth grade within Hillsborough County Public Schools.
The school is very small, even by the measure of elementary schools in the district. Every single enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the community this school serves carries a high concentration of economic need. The student body is predominantly Black, with Hispanic and white students making up the remainder. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in the records we reviewed.
State assessment results exist for third and fifth grade in both FAST Math and FAST ELA, and for fifth grade in the Florida Statewide Science Assessment. Fourth-grade results were suppressed, likely because the grade's enrollment was too small to report without risking the identification of individual students. In third grade, roughly half of students reached proficiency in math, and a majority reached proficiency in ELA. By fifth grade, math proficiency climbed to a notably higher level, while ELA and science sat at roughly the same rate. These results reflect a mixed picture, with fifth-grade math standing out as a relative strength and ELA and science at more modest levels. Trend data across years was not available, so it is not possible to say whether performance is improving, holding steady, or declining. A parent who wants to understand the school's trajectory would want to ask the school directly.
No program offerings were included in the data we reviewed, and no information about course access, attendance patterns, or chronic absenteeism was available. Given the school's partnership with Metropolitan Ministries, a nonprofit serving families experiencing homelessness and poverty in the Tampa Bay region, the school likely functions as a specialized support environment, not simply a neighborhood school. That context matters for families thinking about fit. A child whose family is connected to Metropolitan Ministries's services may find this setting designed around their circumstances. Families without that connection should inquire directly about enrollment eligibility and the school's intended mission.
The comparison framework for this school against other districts in Hillsborough County could not be completed because there is only one district in the county for comparison purposes, and entity-level metrics including chronic absenteeism and graduation rate either did not apply or were absent. Graduation rate does not apply here because the school serves only elementary grades.
On the broader community context: Tampa's downtown and adjacent neighborhoods are in the middle of a sustained development surge, with major mixed-use projects publicly reported to be underway or nearing completion along the river and toward Ybor City. Housing prices in the zip code covering this school are well above the Florida state median and the national median, though they have softened modestly over the past year. Rents remain high relative to income. For families, Hillsborough County voters approved a property tax measure in late 2024 that adds to homeowner costs starting in 2025, with funds directed toward teacher and staff pay raises through 2029. The district also carried out a significant boundary rezoning for 2024-2025, shifting thousands of students to different schools across the county, though how that affects this school specifically is not clear from available data.
The school's physical home, the urban energy around it, and its apparent connection to a social-services mission make it quite different from a typical neighborhood elementary. Families exploring it should reach out to both the school and Metropolitan Ministries to understand who it serves and how enrollment works.
See more original research from School Decision →