Schools in Tampa
Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), the district serving Tampa, earned an 'A' district grade from the Florida Department of Education for 2025-26 -- its first A grade in more than a decade, alongside the district's highest graduation rate on record. This is a genuine, sourced district-level improvement; individual school ratings within the district vary and should be checked address-by-address rather than assumed from the district grade alone.
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Learn moreDistrict Grade: A Real, Recent Improvement
Hillsborough County Public Schools earned an 'A' district grade from the Florida Department of Education for the 2025-26 school year -- the district's first A grade in over a decade, per HCPS's own announcement and Tampa Bay-area news reporting (Tampa Bay Times / WTSP, reviewed August 2026) covering statewide 2026 Florida school grades. The district also reported its highest graduation rate in district history and improvement on every grade 3-8 reading and math assessment on the 2025-26 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), with particularly broad-based gains in reading.
Individual School Performance Within the District
Of 214 traditional Hillsborough County schools that received an individual school grade for 2025-26, 127 (about 59%) earned an A or B, per HCPS reporting. That leaves a real minority of schools grading C or below within the same district -- the district-level A grade is a genuine positive signal but does not mean every individual school performs at that level. For a specific address, check the individual school's current Florida DOE grade or GreatSchools rating directly rather than relying on the district figure alone.
District Scale
Hillsborough County Public Schools is one of the larger school districts in the country by enrollment. Sources reviewed this session cited figures in the range of roughly 298-307 schools and an enrollment around 224,000 students, though exact counts vary by source and reporting date (enrollment and school counts shift year to year with new-school openings and demographic change) -- treat these as approximate rather than as a precise, single-date figure.
A Note on What This Page Deliberately Does Not Claim
This page speaks at the district level because that is what could be honestly sourced this pass. It does not name or rate individual Tampa schools, individual school ratings change year to year and vary enormously by specific neighborhood within a 300-school district, and a single generic 'Tampa schools are good' or 'bad' claim at the city level would misrepresent that real variation. Parents evaluating a specific home purchase or rental should look up the assigned school(s) for that specific address via the Florida DOE school grades database or GreatSchools before treating any district-level statistic as decisive for their situation.
Key takeaways
- Hillsborough County Public Schools earned an 'A' district grade from the Florida DOE for 2025-26 -- its first A in over a decade.
- The district reported its highest graduation rate in district history and broad-based FAST reading/math gains for 2025-26.
- Of 214 traditional schools graded, 127 (~59%) earned an A or B -- a real minority graded lower, so district-level performance doesn't apply evenly to every school.
- HCPS is a large district: roughly 298-307 schools and approximately 224,000 students, per sources reviewed (figures vary by source/date).
- This page intentionally does not name or rate individual schools -- check the Florida DOE school grades database or GreatSchools for any specific address before deciding.
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