Is Buckhorn Elementary School a good school?

Buckhorn Elementary School ranks 487 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Buckhorn Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 759 students attended Buckhorn Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Buckhorn Elementary School?

Students at Buckhorn Elementary School are 50% White, 31% Hispanic, 8% African American, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Buckhorn Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Buckhorn Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Mulrennan Middle School High : Durant High School

Buckhorn Elementary School

Summary:

Buckhorn Elementary School is a public elementary school in Valrico, Florida, serving 759 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Hillsborough County School District. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic assessments, with particularly strong results in English Language Arts and Math.

Buckhorn Elementary stands out for its diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 49.93% White, 31.49% Hispanic, 8.43% African American, and 3.03% Asian. This diversity is more balanced than nearby schools like Mintz Elementary and Lithia Springs Elementary. Additionally, Buckhorn has a relatively high spending per student of $10,347, which may contribute to its strong academic performance.

However, Buckhorn Elementary has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.8% in 2019-2020 to 22.2% in 2022-2023. This is an area the school and district should address, as high chronic absenteeism can negatively impact student learning and outcomes. Despite this challenge, Buckhorn remains a standout elementary school, outperforming many of its neighbors and serving a diverse student population with impressive academic results.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2420 Buckhorn School Ct
Valrico, FL 33594

(813) 744-8240

District: Hillsborough

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,347

Students who attend Buckhorn Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mulrennan Middle School
High:	Durant High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 759

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.9%

Hispanic:

31.5%

African American:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Buckhorn Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Buckhorn Elementary School ranks better than 78.4% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 36^th among 179 ranked elementary schools in the Hillsborough School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 76.83. (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 Racial makeup is: White (49.9%), Hispanic (31.5%), African American (8.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 47.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Buckhorn Elementary School is 14.7, which is the 62^nd best among 179 elementary schools in the Hillsborough School District. (See more...)

Compare Buckhorn Elementary School employs 51.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Buckhorn Elementary School is $10,347. 101 elementary schools in the Hillsborough School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Buckhorn 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Buckhorn Elementary School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Buckhorn Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Buckhorn Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	85.13	210^th	1688	87.6%
2007	85.51	202^nd	1786	88.7%
2008	78.51	342^nd	1789	80.9%
2009	86.61	176^th	1847	90.5%
2010	82.07	278^th	1919	85.5%
2011	73.13	520^th	1985	73.8%
2012	65.60	680^th	1984	65.7%
2013	62.68	730^th	2029	64.0%
2014	73.41	496^th	2064	76.0%
2016	76.14	462^nd	2087	77.9%
2017	72.64	564^th	2112	73.3%
2018	73.42	524^th	2118	75.3%
2019	64.74	743^rd	2182	65.9%
2021	71.02	621^st	2247	72.4%
2022	69.09	642^nd	2219	71.1%
2023	75.61	494^th	2240	77.9%
2024	76.83	487^th	2256	78.4%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, September 10, 2021

I have two children who attend Buckhorn and we absolutely love the school, staff, and teachers! Everyone we have ever come in contact with truly cares about the success of their students. They are community orientated and the PTA is very involved. We wouldn't send our kids anywhere else! Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Buckhorn has great amount of money and donations from the PTA. But, for the education part would be scored as below average. The teachers have their hands tied when teaching within the classroom. Teachers are unable to teach grammar, spelling, correct way to solve math equations. They also do not focus on History and Science in the classrooms until second quarter then is but on hold again until the last quarter of school. This school is more focused on testing the children then teaching the children how to read, write and conduct math problems.

Examples of our frustrations:

Math is being taught is a different way of drawing dots instead of solving the problems through proven mathematical steps.

Buckhorn only teaches Florida History until they get into middle school. My child came home the other day and explained to me that the Ponce de León discovered America. I had to explain yes they landed in Florida first but the United States was developed in New England and the Florida became a state in 1895. So the discovery of America was done by the Pilgrims which developed the country so called the United States of America.

Buckhorn lacks constant focus in regards to English. They do not teach phonics nor spelling. In third grade the except all children to write paragraphs but yet they do not teach the basic foundation of grammar of the English language. When asking the past 5 years why the school does not teach spelling or grammar the school has explained most of the children will be writing on the computers in which has spell check. This comment has been made from teachers, vice principal and principal.

Our family has given 5 years to this school, but the only way my child has been able to succeed to pass the grades is by tutoring for proper instruction and home schooling at night. As our next child is enter elementary school we will be moving all children to another school due to the lack of support for my child in the past 5 years.

I hope this helps out any other parents looking to place their children in school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Buckhorn Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	754	96	11	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	906
1989	808	93	9	53	2	n/a	n/a	0	965
1990	845	101	10	56	0	n/a	n/a	0	1012
1991	844	122	9	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	1034
1992	858	117	11	59	1	n/a	n/a	0	1046
1993	798	107	9	55	0	n/a	n/a	0	969
1994	804	101	18	66	0	n/a	n/a	0	989
1995	781	87	14	73	0	n/a	n/a	0	955
1996	781	87	14	73	0	n/a	n/a	0	955
1997	761	119	10	67	0	n/a	n/a	0	957
1998	783	115	11	72	0	n/a	n/a	0	981
1999	602	114	18	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	793
2000	631	115	22	67	2	n/a	n/a	0	837
2001	671	125	22	90	0	n/a	n/a	0	908
2002	733	124	21	101	0	n/a	n/a	0	979
2003	733	124	21	101	0	n/a	n/a	0	979
2004	545	78	13	56	1	n/a	n/a	0	693
2005	576	59	15	86	0	n/a	n/a	0	736
2006	577	62	22	103	1	n/a	n/a	0	765
2007	508	60	19	87	1	n/a	n/a	56	731
2008	486	45	24	105	0	n/a	n/a	49	709
2009	461	38	21	83	0	n/a	n/a	50	653
2010	434	43	23	89	0	n/a	n/a	47	636
2011	413	52	29	116	2	1	27	0	640
2012	429	60	33	122	0	1	27	0	672
2013	436	59	38	136	0	0	25	0	694
2014	412	48	34	136	0	0	30	0	660
2015	394	47	29	134	3	0	33	0	640
2016	397	46	28	167	0	0	36	0	674
2017	379	51	34	196	1	0	36	0	697
2018	395	53	33	216	1	1	44	0	743
2019	410	51	32	213	2	1	51	0	760
2020	396	55	21	241	1	1	52	0	767
2021	353	45	26	209	0	2	54	0	689
2022	359	58	22	242	1	1	54	0	737
2023	379	64	23	239	1	3	50	0	759

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 Buckhorn Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	906	42.0	21.5	15.8
1989	965	45.0	21.4	16.4
1990	1012	52.0	19.4	17.9
1991	1034	54.0	19.1	19.4
1992	1046	52.0	20.1	19.1
1993	969	47.0	20.6	19.5
1994	989	49.0	20.2	20.4
1995	955	51.0	18.7	16
1996	955	51.0	18.7	16
1997	957	49.0	19.5	16.6
1998	981	49.0	20.0	17.2
1999	793	40.0	19.8	20.9
2000	837	38.0	22.0	22.5
2001	908	44.0	20.6	21.5
2002	979	46.0	21.3	22.5
2003	979	46.0	21.3	22.5
2004	693	39.0	17.8	25.4
2005	736	42.0	17.5	23.1
2006	765	46.0	16.6	20.5
2007	731	44.0	16.6	21.3
2008	709	53.5	13.3	22.1
2009	653	51.5	13.3	24.7
2010	636	45.0	14.1	29.5
2011	640	45.3	14.1	29.4
2012	672	48.0	14.0	33.2
2013	694	50.0	13.8	33.6
2014	660	51.0	12.9	35.5
2015	640	52.0	12.3	36.9
2016	674	49.0	13.7	37.8
2017	697	49.0	14.2	39.7
2018	743	53.0	14.0	42
2019	760	55.0	13.8	41.1
2020	767	54.0	14.2	40.3
2021	689	54.0	12.7	43.3
2022	737	50.5	14.5	42.1
2023	759	51.5	14.7	47.3

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 Buckhorn Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	906	42.0	21.5	15.8
1989	965	45.0	21.4	16.4
1990	1012	52.0	19.4	17.9
1991	1034	54.0	19.1	19.4
1992	1046	52.0	20.1	19.1
1993	969	47.0	20.6	19.5
1994	989	49.0	20.2	20.4
1995	955	51.0	18.7	16
1996	955	51.0	18.7	16
1997	957	49.0	19.5	16.6
1998	981	49.0	20.0	17.2
1999	793	40.0	19.8	20.9
2000	837	38.0	22.0	22.5
2001	908	44.0	20.6	21.5
2002	979	46.0	21.3	22.5
2003	979	46.0	21.3	22.5
2004	693	39.0	17.8	25.4
2005	736	42.0	17.5	23.1
2006	765	46.0	16.6	20.5
2007	731	44.0	16.6	21.3
2008	709	53.5	13.3	22.1
2009	653	51.5	13.3	24.7
2010	636	45.0	14.1	29.5
2011	640	45.3	14.1	29.4
2012	672	48.0	14.0	33.2
2013	694	50.0	13.8	33.6
2014	660	51.0	12.9	35.5
2015	640	52.0	12.3	36.9
2016	674	49.0	13.7	37.8
2017	697	49.0	14.2	39.7
2018	743	53.0	14.0	42
2019	760	55.0	13.8	41.1
2020	767	54.0	14.2	40.3
2021	689	54.0	12.7	43.3
2022	737	50.5	14.5	42.1
2023	759	51.5	14.7	47.3

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 Buckhorn Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$343 (4.2%)	$7,830 (95.8%)	$8,173
2019	$434 (5.0%)	$8,216 (95.0%)	$8,649
2020	$527 (6.0%)	$8,270 (94.0%)	$8,798
2021	$1,139 (11.9%)	$8,435 (88.1%)	$9,575
2022	$1,182 (12.6%)	$8,235 (87.5%)	$9,416
2023	$2,051 (19.8%)	$8,296 (80.2%)	$10,347

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Buckhorn 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 743^rd of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 494^th of 2240 Elementary schools	12%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Buckhorn Elementary School)	66	58	8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	52	49	3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Buckhorn Elementary School)	65	64	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hillsborough)	54	56	2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Buckhorn Elementary School)	61	66	5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	55	55
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Buckhorn Elementary School)	64	74	10%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hillsborough)	57	60	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Buckhorn Elementary School)	63	64	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	54	52	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Buckhorn Elementary School)	63	60	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hillsborough)	54	54
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Buckhorn Elementary School)	65	57	8%
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	760	759	0.1%
African American	51	64	25.5%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	32	23	28.1%
Hispanic	213	239	12.2%
Pacific Islander	1	3	200%
White	410	379	7.6%
Two or More Races	51	50	2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	41.1%	47.3%	6.2%

Schools Near Buckhorn 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 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 Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Buckhorn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2420 Buckhorn School Ct	Valrico	33594	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-8240	759	52	14.7	47.3%	379 (49.9%)	64 (8.4%)	239 (31.5%)	23 (3.0%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	50 (6.6%)	76.8	487^th of 2256 public elementary schools	78.4%		75.6	494^th of 2240 public elementary schools	77.9%	7	66.0	67.0	60.0				82.0	73.0	68.0				60.0				$10,347	$2,051	$8,296
Valrico Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	609 S Miller Rd	Valrico	33594	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-6777	764	50	15.2	47.6%	347 (45.4%)	67 (8.8%)	281 (36.8%)	25 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.8%)	78	459^th of 2256 public elementary schools	79.7%		72.2	579^th of 2240 public elementary schools	74.2%	120	59.0	72.0	69.0				67.0	74.0	71.0				65.0				$10,784	$1,990	$8,795
Alafia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3535 Culbreath Rd	Valrico	33596	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-8190	648	42	15.4	38.9%	354 (54.6%)	51 (7.9%)	176 (27.2%)	11 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	53 (8.2%)	63	797^th of 2256 public elementary schools	64.7%		62.8	777^th of 2240 public elementary schools	65.3%	20	52.0	59.0	55.0				53.0	69.0	62.0				73.0				$9,858	$1,608	$8,250
Brooker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	812 Dewolf Rd	Brandon	33511	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-8184	802	52	15.4	48.3%	357 (44.5%)	90 (11.2%)	250 (31.2%)	41 (5.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (7.9%)	69.1	657^th of 2256 public elementary schools	70.9%		52	1046^th of 2240 public elementary schools	53.3%	389	61.0	53.0	65.0				68.0	70.0	71.0				55.0				$9,424	$1,847	$7,577
Navigator Academy Of Leadership Valrico	Public, Charter	K-8	1101 E Bloomingdale Ave	Valrico	33596	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 603-9340	870	34	25.5	11.6%	315 (36.2%)	140 (16.1%)	322 (37.0%)	51 (5.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.6%)	55.4	959^th of 2256 public elementary schools	57.5%		49.3	1109^th of 2240 public elementary schools	50.5%	150	64.0	49.0	55.0	70.0	57.0	61.0	70.0	53.0	45.0	65.0	19.0	73.0	39.0	57.0	90.0	59.0	$6,616	$675	$5,941
Nelson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5413 Durant Rd	Dover	33527	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 651-2120	719	38	18.9	54.2%	284 (39.5%)	89 (12.4%)	260 (36.2%)	28 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	54 (7.5%)	47.7	1151^st of 2256 public elementary schools	49.0%		51.6	1060^th of 2240 public elementary schools	52.7%	91	56.0	55.0	49.0				53.0	62.0	45.0				49.0				$8,814	$1,763	$7,050
Lithia Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4332 Lynx Paw Trl	Valrico	33596	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 744-8016	620	37	16.7	22.4%	397 (64.0%)	18 (2.9%)	133 (21.5%)	25 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (7.1%)	90.4	163^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	92.8%		78.3	440^th of 2240 public elementary schools	80.4%	277	78.0	71.0	81.0				81.0	84.0	74.0				77.0				$8,846	$1,492	$7,354
Cimino Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4329 Culbreath Rd	Valrico	33596	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 740-4450	818	57	14.3	37.0%	443 (54.2%)	60 (7.3%)	219 (26.8%)	22 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	72 (8.8%)	74.1	543^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	75.9%		71.9	589^th of 2240 public elementary schools	73.7%	46	64.0	58.0	64.0				75.0	78.0	64.0				59.0				$10,331	$1,735	$8,596
Yates Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Kingsway Rd	Brandon	33510	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8177	664	42	15.8	71.1%	147 (22.1%)	144 (21.7%)	318 (47.9%)	12 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.2%)	8.5	2180^th of 2256 public elementary schools	3.4%		10.3	2128^th of 2240 public elementary schools	5.0%	52	23.0	30.0	29.0				22.0	28.0	36.0				27.0				$9,542	$2,095	$7,447
Kingswood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3102 S Kings Ave	Brandon	33511	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8234	457	26	17.5	76.4%	97 (21.2%)	127 (27.8%)	198 (43.3%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.6%)	13.1	2085^th of 2256 public elementary schools	7.6%		14.9	2032^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	9.3%	53	32.0	31.0	31.0				35.0	49.0	25.0				21.0				$10,131	$2,053	$8,078

Buckhorn Elementary School

Hillsborough:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Buckhorn Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Buckhorn Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Buckhorn Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Buckhorn Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Buckhorn Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Buckhorn Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Buckhorn Elementary School