Plato Academy Trinity Charter School, New Port Richey FL

Original Research by School Decision on Plato Academy Trinity Charter School

Plato Academy Trinity Charter School is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade public charter school on Old County Road 54 in New Port Richey, serving a mid-sized enrollment for its grade band. It operates under the Pasco County school district's umbrella but runs independently as a charter, meaning families choose it rather than being assigned. No specific program theme or instructional model was listed in the available data, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about its approach and what distinguishes it from nearby district schools.

Close to half of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this school in moderately mixed economic territory. The racial and ethnic composition is majority white, with Hispanic students making up roughly a fifth of enrollment, and smaller shares of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available, so families whose children may need those services would benefit from asking the school directly how it staffs and structures that support.

On Florida's FAST assessments, math proficiency runs roughly in the low-to-mid fifties across the elementary grades and slips a bit in eighth grade. ELA is more variable: fifth and sixth grade stand out with noticeably stronger results than the other grades, while third, fourth, seventh, and eighth grade come in around the low-to-mid fifties or right at the halfway mark. Science scores at the two tested grades land in the low-to-mid fifties in fifth grade and somewhat lower in eighth. These are generally middle-of-the-road results, neither strong nor markedly weak, and the pattern in ELA where the middle grades hold up better than the upper is worth exploring with the school. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is hard to say whether results are improving. The comparison framework found only one district in Pasco County's comparison set, so no meaningful peer benchmarking was possible.

Because this school stops at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. High school placement is the next step, and families will want to understand how the school supports that transition, especially given Pasco County's evolving school-choice landscape. The district has opened new magnet schools in east Pasco and is managing rapid enrollment growth and boundary adjustments in the Wesley Chapel corridor. Families in New Port Richey are less directly affected by those eastern growth pressures, but the broader district context of change and rezoning is worth monitoring.

The housing market in the zip code where the school sits is notably more affordable than the Florida statewide median, and values have softened slightly year over year. Rents are also running a bit below state norms. New Port Richey itself is a small Gulf Coast city on the Pithlachascotee River, publicly described as suburban but with a compact walkable downtown anchored by Sims Park, local restaurants, and riverfront events. Outside that core, the city is car-dependent. Healthcare and public education are the dominant local employers, with Pasco-Hernando State College and Welbilt also among the larger employers in the area. The downtown has been in an active revitalization phase, earning Main Street America accreditation in 2026, and new residential development is in progress at the city's edges with completion expected in 2027.

Pasco County voters approved a millage referendum in 2022 to fund teacher and staff salaries, and a renewal is headed to the November 2026 ballot. That has meaningfully reduced teacher vacancies districtwide. Because Plato Academy is a charter, its direct exposure to district staffing structures differs from traditional public schools, and a parent should ask how teacher pay and retention work within the charter's own budget.

What this school offers is a K-8 charter option in an affordable part of greater Tampa Bay, with academic results that are serviceable but not standout, in a community that has active civic investment and reasonable housing costs. Families whose children struggle with particular subjects, or who need specialized services, would want a clear conversation with the school before enrolling.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 58% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 49% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 52% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 57% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 61% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 57% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 54%

even with state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 567%

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

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 674%

School 74% · District 59% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 57% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 861%

School 61% · District 52% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 49% · ▲ 4 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 47% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolPASCO, 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-income44%Higher-income57%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income64%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income62%Higher-income71%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income57%Higher-income85%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income63%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income79%39 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income44%Higher-income54%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income67%Higher-income43%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income55%5 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income54%6 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income32%Higher-income64%32 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income67%40 pp gap