The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Richey Elementary School
Richey Elementary sits on Adams Street in New Port Richey, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Pasco County district. It draws from a neighborhood that reflects much of western Pasco County: a mix of white, Hispanic, and Black students, with multiracial families also present. A large majority of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this squarely in a high-poverty population context. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs was not available in the data provided.
The academic picture from Florida's FAST assessments warrants a clear-eyed look. Across third, fourth, and fifth grade in both ELA and math, proficiency rates are low, sitting well below what most families would expect of an elementary school. Fifth grade science results tell a similar story. There is one anomalous data point in the grade-six math figures, but Richey does not serve sixth grade, so that result likely reflects a small number of students tested under unusual circumstances and should not be read as representative of the school's overall math performance. Trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether results have been improving or declining. A parent whose child is not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks would want to ask the school directly about how it identifies gaps, what intervention supports are in place, and how families are kept informed of a child's progress.
IEP and English learner rate data are missing from the record, which is worth noting because schools with high concentrations of students needing specialized or language support sometimes have proficiency figures that look low in aggregate but reflect intensive service populations. That explanation may or may not apply here; the data does not say, and the gap is named rather than filled.
The school sits within a neighborhood that is part of New Port Richey's older residential core. The city itself is a compact Gulf Coast community in western Pasco County, part of the broader Tampa metro. Publicly reported information describes a downtown along the Pithlachascotee River that has been on an active revitalization trajectory, earning a Main Street America accreditation in 2026, with restaurants, boutique shops, and civic events anchored around Sims Park. Outside the downtown core the city is car-dependent, and transit options are limited. Healthcare and public education are the dominant employers locally, with Morton Plant North Bay Hospital and Pasco County Schools both prominent.
The housing market around the school sits well below the Florida statewide benchmark and below national median home values, with rents also comparatively modest and slightly declining year over year. The price-to-income and rent-to-income ratios suggest the area is somewhat more accessible than many Florida coastal markets, though the gap between renting and buying here is relatively narrow. New multifamily construction is underway nearby, with a substantial mixed-use apartment development expected to complete in 2027.
At the district level, Pasco County voters approved a property-tax millage in 2022 to boost salaries for teachers, bus drivers, and non-administrative staff, and publicly reported figures show teacher vacancies have dropped sharply since that levy took effect. A renewal is heading to voters in November 2026, so homeowners in the district should expect that property-tax line to continue if the renewal passes. Separately, the Penny for Pasco sales tax was renewed in 2022 and directs significant capital funding to the district for construction, renovations, and safety improvements. The fast-growth pressures in east Pasco, around Wesley Chapel, are less directly relevant to families at Richey Elementary, though district-wide boundary adjustments and new school openings can ripple in ways that shift program options over time.
Comparison data against other districts in Pasco County was not available in a meaningful form because only one district serves this county, which makes peer benchmarking within the county inapplicable.
For a family considering this school, the proficiency data is the thing to probe most carefully. Low tested rates across multiple grades and subjects are a real signal, and a family with a child who needs strong academic scaffolding should ask specific questions about the school's reading and math intervention programs, staffing stability, and how communication with parents works when a child is behind.
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