The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 59% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Ferrell Middle Magnet School
Ferrell Middle Magnet School is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in Tampa, operated by Hillsborough County schools. It sits on North 24th Street in a residential part of east Tampa, well east of the downtown core and Hillsborough River, in a neighborhood that carries a different character from the city's more prominent historic preservation districts or waterfront enclaves. The school is part of a large urban district, and its magnet designation means families across the county may seek it out rather than simply being assigned by geography.
The school's student body is racially and ethnically diverse, drawing Black and Hispanic students as its two largest groups, with white and multiracial students also represented. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this in the range of schools serving a higher share of economically disadvantaged families. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs were not available in the materials provided.
On the Florida FAST assessments for the most recent reported year, the academic picture is mixed across grades and subjects. Math results vary notably by grade level: sixth grade and eighth grade students reached proficiency at rates that sit comfortably above the midpoint, while seventh grade math proficiency was considerably lower, dropping well behind the other two grades. ELA proficiency was more consistent across grades, landing in a range that falls below the math highs but not dramatically so. Eighth grade science, assessed by the statewide science assessment, reached a proficiency rate roughly in the same band as ELA. No prior-year trend data were available for comparison, so it is not possible to say whether results have been climbing, holding, or slipping. A parent who wants to understand trajectory would want to ask the school directly.
Because the comparison fact-set in the data found only one district in Hillsborough County's cohort, a meaningful positioning of Ferrell against neighboring schools was not possible from the available figures.
No program offerings data were available for Ferrell specifically. Families interested in understanding what the magnet focus entails, what elective or enrichment courses are offered, and how students are selected for admission should consult the school directly, since that information was absent from the materials provided.
At the district level, Hillsborough County voters approved a property tax referendum in November 2024 that takes effect July 2025 and runs through mid-2029. Publicly reported accounts describe it as adding a one-mill levy to fund teacher and staff pay raises. For homeowners, this represents a real and recurring cost increase tied directly to school funding. The district also completed a substantial boundary rezoning for the 2024-2025 school year, publicly reported as affecting a large number of schools and potentially moving a significant number of students to different assignments. Families with zoned school assignments elsewhere in the county would want to confirm their current status given those changes, though magnet enrollment operates on its own process.
The housing market immediately around the school's zip code shows home values below both the Florida state median and the national median, which makes the east Tampa area notably more accessible for buyers than much of the city. Both home values and rents in this zip code have edged downward year over year, a pattern worth watching in a city that overall is still adding population and development, particularly in downtown and adjacent districts. Buyers should weigh that the broader Tampa metro is in an active growth phase, with major mixed-use projects like Water Street Tampa operating and new phases of development planned through the late 2020s, while employment data showed some softening in early 2026.
For a family weighing Ferrell, the core question is the magnet program itself, which this data set does not fully illuminate. The school's academic results in math show a real gap at the seventh grade level that parents may want to explore further with the school. The diverse, urban student environment and the relatively affordable surrounding housing are plain characteristics of this placement. What the magnet designation offers in terms of curriculum, theme, or instructional focus is the piece most absent here.
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