The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Science. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Moon Lake Elementary School
Moon Lake Elementary sits on Tree Breeze Drive in New Port Richey, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within Pasco County Schools. The enrollment places it on the larger end for a school of this grade band, with a mix of grade levels that runs fairly evenly from kindergarten through fifth grade, plus a pre-K program. A large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the economic makeup of this part of western Pasco County. The student body is majority white, with Hispanic students making up roughly a fifth of enrollment and Black students and multiracial students each representing a smaller but present share. Data on English learner rates and IEP rates were not available in the materials provided.
On Florida's FAST assessments, proficiency rates across tested grades sit below the midpoint in both math and English language arts. In math, third and fifth graders are closer to the mid-forties range while fourth grade is noticeably lower. In ELA, the pattern is similar, with third and fourth grade results in the mid-to-upper thirties and fifth grade just above that. The fifth-grade science assessment shows results near half of students reaching proficiency, which is somewhat stronger relative to the math and ELA picture. Trend data was not available in the materials, so it is not possible to say whether these results reflect improvement or decline over time. Parents who want a fuller picture of where the school is heading, and what supports are in place for students who are not yet proficient, would benefit from asking the school directly.
The school does not have a magnet designation, and no specialized programs were listed in the data provided.
The surrounding community is New Port Richey, a small Gulf Coast city in western Pasco County and part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro. The city has a compact historic downtown along the Pithlachascotee River, known locally as the Cotee River, with walkable Main Street blocks, Sims Park, and a riverfront that draws local events year-round. The area earned Main Street America accreditation in 2026, publicly reported as part of a multi-year downtown revitalization. Outside the downtown core, the city is car-dependent, with limited transit. Healthcare and public education are the dominant local employers, with Morton Plant North Bay Hospital and the Medical Center of Trinity among the major names.
Home values in the zip code are below both the Florida statewide benchmark and the national benchmark, making this one of the more accessible housing markets in the broader Tampa metro. Values have edged down year over year, as have rents. The rent-to-income ratio sits near the national conversation point for affordability, and the gap between renting and carrying a mortgage is relatively narrow, which gives buyers and renters comparable monthly costs at current rates. That affordability context is part of why western Pasco County continues to attract families priced out of closer-in Tampa neighborhoods.
Pasco County Schools has two pieces of district-level context that matter to families here. Voters approved a property-tax referendum in 2022 to fund raises for teachers and non-administrative staff, and the publicly reported result has been a sharp drop in teacher vacancies across the district. That referendum runs through mid-2027, and the board has placed a renewal on the November 2026 ballot. Separately, the district benefits from a renewed one-cent sales tax, a portion of which flows to school construction, renovations, safety, and technology. The rapid growth context in east Pasco, which has driven new school openings and boundary adjustments, is centered in Wesley Chapel and does not bear directly on Moon Lake Elementary's part of the county, but families should be aware the district is actively managing enrollment pressure at a system level.
Because only Pasco County Schools operates in Pasco County, no peer-district comparison was possible for this school's academic results.
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