Navigator Academy of Leadership Valrico, Valrico FL

Original Research by School Decision on Navigator Academy of Leadership Valrico

Navigator Academy of Leadership Valrico is a charter school on East Bloomingdale Avenue in Valrico, serving kindergarten through eighth grade as part of the Hillsborough County school ecosystem. It draws students through open enrollment rather than a residential zone, which means families across the eastern Hillsborough area actively choose to send their children here rather than arriving by default.

The school's student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with Hispanic students making up the largest group, followed by white, Black, and Asian students, along with smaller shares of other backgrounds. That mix across a K-8 span reflects the broader demographic character of eastern Hillsborough. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, notably low compared to what many Florida public and charter schools report, which parents should weigh when thinking about the school's peer environment and context. Data on students with IEPs or English learners was not available in the data we reviewed, so families with children in either group may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

On Florida's FAST assessments, results by grade tell a mixed story. In reading, the school shows real strength at the upper end of its grade band: eighth graders perform solidly, and fourth graders also post a strong ELA result. In math, fourth grade stands out as the clearest high point, while fifth and sixth grade results in both math and ELA trail behind the other grades by a noticeable margin. Science proficiency at fifth grade is low; the eighth grade science result is more encouraging. The pattern across grades is uneven rather than uniformly strong or weak. A parent considering this school for a child entering fifth or sixth grade may want to ask the school specifically what it does in those years to support students who fall behind. Trend data across multiple years was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these patterns are improving or stable.

No graduation rate applies here because the school stops at eighth grade.

The school is publicly reported as part of the Navigator Academy of Leadership network, a Florida charter organization. Program-specific offerings such as electives, extracurriculars, or special pathways were not in the data we reviewed; families interested in those details would need to contact the school directly or visit its website.

Valrico itself is a family-oriented, auto-dependent suburb in eastern Hillsborough County, east of Brandon and southeast of Tampa. It is organized around deed-restricted subdivisions and larger residential neighborhoods, with commercial life along State Road 60 rather than any walkable downtown. Home values in the area sit above both state and national medians, and while values have edged down slightly year over year, the local housing market remains priced firmly above average. Renting is also meaningfully more expensive than in much of Florida. Families buying into the area as part of a school choice decision will be entering a housing market that reflects the broad desirability of eastern Hillsborough.

Two district-level changes are worth knowing about. Hillsborough County voters approved a property tax referendum in late 2024 that will add to homeowners' annual tax bills through mid-2029, with revenue directed at teacher and staff pay. As a charter school, publicly reported accounts indicate that charter schools receive a share of this funding under state law, so Navigator Academy is likely to benefit. Separately, the district undertook a major boundary rezoning for the 2024-2025 school year affecting many traditional public schools across the county. That rezoning does not directly change charter enrollment processes, but families who were weighing a zoned school against this charter may find their neighborhood assignment has shifted.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 58% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 476%

School 76% · District 59% · ▲ 17 pts above district

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

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 54% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 54% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 36% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 58% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with 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 467%

School 67% · District 53% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 53% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 1 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 757%

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

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 52% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 50% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 48% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 12 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-income69%Higher-income56%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income70%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income60%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income63%Higher-income55%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income64%Higher-income77%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income60%Higher-income55%5 pp gap