Ruskin Elementary School

Summary:

Ruskin Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Ruskin, Florida, with a student population of 781. The school is part of the Hillsborough County School District, which is ranked 45 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Ruskin Elementary has a predominantly Hispanic student population (64.79%), followed by African American (17.67%) and White (13.7%) students.

Ruskin Elementary faces significant challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 34.3% in 2020-2021 to 44.4% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is also significantly below the Hillsborough County and Florida state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 32% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 51% in Hillsborough and 55% statewide. Additionally, Ruskin Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 77.34% in 2022-2023 to 92.08% in 2020-2021, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Ruskin Elementary to other nearby schools in the Hillsborough district, it consistently performs worse on academic measures. For example, Apollo Beach Elementary, which is located just 4.76 miles away, has significantly higher test scores and a lower chronic absenteeism rate. Additionally, the nearby Dorothy C. York PK-8 Magnet School and Literacy Leadership Technology Academy South Bay, both public charter schools, outperform Ruskin Elementary on a variety of metrics, including test scores, chronic absenteeism, and student-teacher ratios.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

101 E College Ave
Ruskin, FL 33570

(813) 671-5177

District: Hillsborough

SchoolDigger Rank:
2136^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,413

Students who attend Ruskin Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Shields Middle School
High:	Lennard High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.5

Number of students: 781

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

64.8%

African American:

17.7%

White:

13.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Ruskin Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ruskin Elementary School ranks worse than 94.7% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 157^th among 179 ranked elementary schools in the Hillsborough School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.71. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Ruskin Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (64.8%), African American (17.7%), White (13.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ruskin Elementary School is 17.5. 149 elementary schools in the Hillsborough School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Ruskin Elementary School employs 44.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ruskin Elementary School is $10,413. 97 elementary schools in the Hillsborough School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ruskin Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Hillsborough:

SchoolDigger ranks Hillsborough 45^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ruskin Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	32.40	1180^th	1688	30.1%
2007	20.84	1490^th	1786	16.6%
2008	21.87	1483^rd	1789	17.1%
2009	38.95	1221^st	1847	33.9%
2010	20.84	1609^th	1919	16.2%
2011	23.16	1629^th	1985	17.9%
2012	15.89	1753^rd	1984	11.6%
2013	15.66	1828^th	2029	9.9%
2014	18.31	1792^nd	2064	13.2%
2016	18.20	1781^st	2087	14.7%
2017	10.26	1995^th	2112	5.5%
2018	10.73	1984^th	2118	6.3%
2019	12.66	1997^th	2182	8.5%
2021	12.20	2066^th	2247	8.1%
2022	6.01	2171^st	2219	2.2%
2023	6.76	2183^rd	2240	2.5%
2024	10.71	2136^th	2256	5.3%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Ruskin Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	454	71	1	385	0	n/a	n/a	0	911
1989	499	75	1	405	1	n/a	n/a	0	981
1990	456	85	0	428	0	n/a	n/a	0	969
1991	472	92	1	406	0	n/a	n/a	0	971
1992	360	97	1	311	0	n/a	n/a	0	769
1993	315	98	2	310	0	n/a	n/a	0	725
1994	332	81	4	329	2	n/a	n/a	0	748
1995	307	72	3	355	1	n/a	n/a	0	738
1996	307	72	3	355	1	n/a	n/a	0	738
1997	314	7	3	373	3	n/a	n/a	0	700
1998	307	9	3	431	2	n/a	n/a	0	752
1999	289	7	2	456	4	n/a	n/a	0	758
2000	259	10	3	494	3	n/a	n/a	0	769
2001	261	10	3	502	3	n/a	n/a	0	779
2002	227	15	3	547	4	n/a	n/a	0	796
2003	227	15	3	547	4	n/a	n/a	0	796
2004	191	15	2	604	3	n/a	n/a	0	815
2005	204	17	2	599	1	n/a	n/a	0	823
2006	182	15	1	649	3	n/a	n/a	0	850
2007	191	35	5	737	5	n/a	n/a	41	1014
2008	225	66	14	786	1	n/a	n/a	57	1149
2009	190	47	5	585	2	n/a	n/a	41	870
2010	191	54	5	586	1	n/a	n/a	27	864
2011	217	56	10	641	3	0	18	0	945
2012	235	72	9	659	1	2	20	0	998
2013	228	73	6	659	1	2	17	0	986
2014	237	95	9	732	1	2	16	0	1092
2015	160	71	4	611	1	0	15	0	862
2016	170	64	3	605	1	0	19	0	862
2017	137	83	3	675	1	0	17	0	916
2018	129	93	8	586	1	0	18	0	835
2019	129	93	5	541	0	1	26	0	795
2020	99	99	0	535	0	0	22	0	755
2021	103	101	1	507	0	2	18	0	732
2022	100	121	4	497	0	2	17	0	741
2023	107	138	3	506	0	3	24	0	781

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ruskin Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	911	52.0	17.5	67.5
1989	981	54.0	18.1	68.6
1990	969	60.0	16.1	55.4
1991	971	58.0	16.7	69.2
1992	769	46.0	16.7	63.3
1993	725	53.0	13.7	68.3
1994	748	54.0	13.9	70.3
1995	738	52.0	14.2	73.3
1996	738	52.0	14.2	73.3
1997	700	51.0	13.7	74.1
1998	752	53.0	14.2	79.5
1999	758	53.0	14.3	84.4
2000	769	54.0	14.2	88
2001	779	56.0	13.9	89.7
2002	796	49.0	16.2	89.1
2003	796	49.0	16.2	89.1
2004	815	51.0	16.0	90.1
2005	823	59.0	13.9	90
2006	850	60.0	14.2	89.2
2007	1014	59.0	17.2	88.6
2008	1149	82.0	14.0	87.7
2009	870	74.7	12.3	86.7
2010	864	71.0	12.1	88.4
2011	945	74.0	12.7	87.3
2012	998	77.0	12.9	82.4
2013	986	74.0	13.3	87.1
2014	1092	87.0	12.5	87.5
2015	862	68.0	12.6	90.8
2016	862	67.0	12.8	90
2017	916	70.0	13.0	89.8
2018	835	66.0	12.6	90.1
2019	795	52.5	15.1	90.2
2020	755	53.0	14.2	88.7
2021	732	53.5	13.6	92.1
2022	741	46.0	16.1	85.6
2023	781	44.5	17.5	77.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ruskin Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	911	52.0	17.5	67.5
1989	981	54.0	18.1	68.6
1990	969	60.0	16.1	55.4
1991	971	58.0	16.7	69.2
1992	769	46.0	16.7	63.3
1993	725	53.0	13.7	68.3
1994	748	54.0	13.9	70.3
1995	738	52.0	14.2	73.3
1996	738	52.0	14.2	73.3
1997	700	51.0	13.7	74.1
1998	752	53.0	14.2	79.5
1999	758	53.0	14.3	84.4
2000	769	54.0	14.2	88
2001	779	56.0	13.9	89.7
2002	796	49.0	16.2	89.1
2003	796	49.0	16.2	89.1
2004	815	51.0	16.0	90.1
2005	823	59.0	13.9	90
2006	850	60.0	14.2	89.2
2007	1014	59.0	17.2	88.6
2008	1149	82.0	14.0	87.7
2009	870	74.7	12.3	86.7
2010	864	71.0	12.1	88.4
2011	945	74.0	12.7	87.3
2012	998	77.0	12.9	82.4
2013	986	74.0	13.3	87.1
2014	1092	87.0	12.5	87.5
2015	862	68.0	12.6	90.8
2016	862	67.0	12.8	90
2017	916	70.0	13.0	89.8
2018	835	66.0	12.6	90.1
2019	795	52.5	15.1	90.2
2020	755	53.0	14.2	88.7
2021	732	53.5	13.6	92.1
2022	741	46.0	16.1	85.6
2023	781	44.5	17.5	77.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ruskin Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$812 (9.9%)	$7,403 (90.1%)	$8,215
2019	$1,145 (12.8%)	$7,817 (87.2%)	$8,962
2020	$1,425 (14.2%)	$8,583 (85.8%)	$10,009
2021	$1,637 (17.4%)	$7,794 (82.6%)	$9,431
2022	$1,696 (18.3%)	$7,573 (81.7%)	$9,268
2023	$2,967 (28.5%)	$7,446 (71.5%)	$10,413

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ruskin Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1997^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 2183^rd of 2240 Elementary schools	5.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ruskin Elementary School)	28	20	8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	52	49	3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ruskin Elementary School)	41	22	19%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hillsborough)	54	56	2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ruskin Elementary School)	39	36	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	55	55
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ruskin Elementary School)	40	28	12%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hillsborough)	57	60	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ruskin Elementary School)	31	15	16%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	54	52	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ruskin Elementary School)	40	22	18%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hillsborough)	54	54
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Ruskin Elementary School)	30	20	10%
5th Grade Science (Hillsborough)	51	47	4%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	795	781	1.8%
African American	93	138	48.4%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	3	40%
Hispanic	541	506	6.5%
Pacific Islander	1	3	200%
White	129	107	17.1%
Two or More Races	26	24	7.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	90.2%	77.3%	12.9%

Schools Near Ruskin Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)						FAST Math (2024)						Statewide Science Science (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ruskin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 E College Ave	Ruskin	33570	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 671-5177	781	45	17.5	77.3%	107 (13.7%)	138 (17.7%)	506 (64.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	24 (3.1%)	10.7	2136^th of 2256 public elementary schools	5.3%		6.8	2183^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	2.5%	47	32.0	14.0	40.0				34.0	32.0	31.0				28.0						$10,413	$2,967	$7,446
Thompson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2020 E Shell Point Rd	Ruskin	33570	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 938-1203	744	45	16.5	69.2%	114 (15.3%)	219 (29.4%)	375 (50.4%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	29 (3.9%)	17.3	1974^th of 2256 public elementary schools	12.5%		26.1	1711^th of 2240 public elementary schools	23.6%	263	29.0	39.0	41.0				37.0	44.0	34.0				29.0						$10,133	$2,814	$7,319
Literacy Leadership Technology Academy South Bay	Public, Charter	K-8	1090 30th Street NE	Ruskin	33570	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 234-0940	809	46	17.5	17.2%	319 (39.4%)	158 (19.5%)	264 (32.6%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	56 (6.9%)	35	1491^st of 2256 public elementary schools	33.9%		39.6	1345^th of 2240 public elementary schools	40.0%	146	73.0	35.0	44.0	49.0	43.0	41.0	65.0	45.0	36.0	38.0	48.0	70.0	31.0	39.0	87.0	85.0		69.0	$6,827	$254	$6,573
Literacy/Leadership/Technology Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	6771 Madison Ave	Tampa	33619	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 234-0940	482	35	13.7	16.2%	207 (42.9%)	58 (12.0%)	184 (38.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.2%)	16	2004^th of 2256 public elementary schools	11.2%		21.5	1850^th of 2240 public elementary schools	17.4%	154	51.0	23.0	29.0	46.0	46.0	47.0	43.0	21.0	11.0	33.0	60.0	52.0	19.0	46.0	77.0	78.0		75.0	$9,024	$468	$8,556
Cypress Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4040 19th Ave NE	Ruskin	33573	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 671-5167	957	53	18.2	63.3%	159 (16.6%)	311 (32.5%)	425 (44.4%)	17 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (4.6%)	29.1	1647^th of 2256 public elementary schools	27.0%		34.6	1480^th of 2240 public elementary schools	33.9%	167	48.0	41.0	38.0				57.0	49.0	41.0				30.0						$9,524	$2,043	$7,483
Apollo Beach Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 Apollo Beach Blvd	Apollo Beach	33572	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 671-5172	561	38	14.9	39.9%	337 (60.1%)	36 (6.4%)	152 (27.1%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.0%)	75.8	510^th of 2256 public elementary schools	77.4%		80.2	406^th of 2240 public elementary schools	81.9%	104	70.0	65.0	51.0				75.0	77.0	77.0				57.0						$10,323	$1,724	$8,598
Dorothy C York Pk-8 Magnet School	Public	PK, KG-8	5995 Covington Garden Drive	Apollo Beach	33572	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(813) 272-4000	1,243	83	15.0	29.0%	539 (43.4%)	242 (19.5%)	315 (25.3%)	41 (3.3%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	101 (8.1%)	83.9	322^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	85.7%					(n/a)	68.0	72.0	68.0	78.0	70.0	61.0	79.0	72.0	69.0	92.0	29.0	76.0	68.0	56.0	90.0	100.0		78.0	$10,182	$1,694	$8,488
Waterset Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	6540 Knowledge Ln	Apollo Beach	33572	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 602-0622	1,169	57	20.5	36.1%	439 (37.6%)	228 (19.5%)	388 (33.2%)	18 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	6 (0.5%)	88 (7.5%)	52.1	1042^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	53.8%		53.4	1009^th of 2240 public elementary schools	55.0%	33	49.0	47.0	59.0	61.0	57.0	59.0	60.0	74.0	30.0	65.0	67.0	48.0	46.0	56.0	65.0		98.0	89.0	$9,368	$603	$8,766
Rcma Wimauma Community Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	18240 Us Highway 301 S	Wimauma	33598	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	Yes	(813) 672-5159	350	24	14.5	98.9%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	350 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.7	1152^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	48.9%		43.5	1239^th of 2240 public elementary schools	44.7%	87	50.0	30.0	36.0	47.0	63.0	59.0	83.0	80.0	69.0	65.0	72.0	50.0	26.0	49.0	58.0	83.0		98.0	$12,114	$1,720	$10,394
Doby Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6720 Covington Garden Dr	Apollo Beach	33572	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 672-5388	550	36	15.2	53.8%	238 (43.3%)	110 (20.0%)	158 (28.7%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	31 (5.6%)	37.8	1410^th of 2256 public elementary schools	37.5%		43.1	1250^th of 2240 public elementary schools	44.2%	160	48.0	33.0	48.0				59.0	43.0	52.0				52.0						$10,194	$1,850	$8,344

Frequently Asked Questions about Ruskin Elementary School

Is Ruskin Elementary School a good school?

Ruskin Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Florida elementary schools.

What district is Ruskin Elementary School in?

Hillsborough

What schools do graduates of Ruskin Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ruskin Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shields Middle School
High : Lennard High School

What is the racial makeup of Ruskin Elementary School?

Students at Ruskin Elementary School are 65% Hispanic, 18% African American, 14% White, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Ruskin Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 781 students attended Ruskin Elementary School.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.