Channelside Academy of Math and Science, Tampa FL

Original Research by School Decision on Channelside Academy of Math and Science

Channelside Academy of Math and Science is a public charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade, located in downtown Tampa on East Twiggs Street in the Channel District. It sits in one of the most actively developing parts of the city, steps from Water Street Tampa and the emerging Gasworx corridor connecting downtown, Channelside, and Ybor City. Families choosing this school are choosing an urban, walkable setting where the free TECO Line Streetcar, the Tampa Riverwalk, and institutions like the Straz Center and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park are all close at hand.

The school draws a majority-minority student body. Black and Hispanic students together make up the large majority of enrollment, with white students representing roughly a fifth of the school. Economically, a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, making this a school that serves a relatively high-need population. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided, so families with children in those categories may want to ask the school directly about support services.

Academic results from Florida's FAST assessment for the most recent school year are mixed, and worth looking at honestly. In English language arts, proficiency varies by grade but is generally moderate, with some grades in the mid-range and eighth grade posting a strong result. Math tells a more uneven story: fourth and eighth grade results are notably stronger, while third, fifth, sixth, and seventh grade proficiency rates fall below the midpoint. Science scores reflect a similar split: fifth grade science proficiency is low, but eighth grade science proficiency is genuinely strong, well above what one might expect given the middle grades' math pattern. The school's name emphasizes math and science, and the eighth grade results in both subjects are the clearest evidence of that mission bearing out at the top of the grade band. The lower-grade math and fifth grade science results are worth a conversation with the school about instructional approach and trajectory. A parent may want to ask how the school supports students who are not yet proficient, particularly in grades three through seven.

No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether results are improving, flat, or declining. Graduation rate is not applicable here because the school serves only through eighth grade. Course access, staffing, and discipline data were not included in what was provided.

As a charter school, Channelside operates independently of boundary assignments within Hillsborough County Public Schools. That means enrollment is by choice rather than address, which matters for families doing deliberate school selection. On the district side, voters in Hillsborough County approved a property tax referendum in late 2024 that runs through 2029, raising homeowner costs modestly each year, with proceeds going toward teacher and staff pay across district and, under state law, charter schools. A major district-wide rezoning also took effect for the current school year, affecting boundary assignments for many schools across the county, though as a charter school Channelside is not directly subject to those attendance boundaries.

The housing market around the school is expensive by Florida standards, running well above the state median home value, and rents in the zip code are also on the higher end. Both home values and rents have dipped modestly year over year, reflecting a broader softening in the Tampa apartment and condo market as supply has expanded. The downtown core and Channel District remain in active development, with new residential towers, offices, and the Gasworx mixed-use project adding density and street life to the immediate neighborhood.

For a family drawn to an urban K-8 charter environment with a STEM identity, a racially and economically diverse peer group, and strong eighth grade outcomes, Channelside offers a distinct option within Tampa's school landscape. The middle-grades math and elementary science results suggest the school is still working toward consistent performance across its full grade span, and families would do well to probe that directly before enrolling.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 58% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 59% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 54% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 54% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 58% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 53% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 53% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 53% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 55% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 55% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 875%

School 75% · District 52% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 50% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 885%

School 85% · District 48% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

This schoolHILLSBOROUGH, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income48%Higher-income80%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income71%Higher-income57%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income54%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income70%Higher-income80%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income70%37 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income36%6 pp gap