Hillsborough County public schools remain top option as school choice expands: ‘Come check us out’
TAMPA, Fla. - The vast majority of Hillsborough County's 230,000 students attend traditional public schools. But as school choice widens, more parents are looking at alternatives like charter, magnet, private, and virtual.
Hillsborough County Schools urges parents to take a second look at their zoned, public school.
"I don’t know if it is necessarily the bright shiny new school, new building, or if they are really thinking about the level of instruction they are going to get, the quality of the teachers that are going to be there," shared Shaylia McRae, deputy superintendent with Hillsborough County Schools.
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She says they need to do a better job getting more parents interested in public schools.
A teacher gives instructions at Collins K-8 School.
"We have to go back internally and say, ‘Are we doing the right marketing?’ Do our parents know what’s happening, the great things that are happening?’"
McRae says part of the problem is parents putting too much emphasis on school grades. Each year the state gives every school a grade, A through F. Those grades come from a single metric: statewide testing done at the end of the year.
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Rebecca Sargable is the principal at Collins K-8 School in Riverview, a traditional public school. She's proud of their "B" grade.
File: Child working on classwork.,
"When people ask if we are an 'A' school. Well, we’re an ‘A’ school for character, and we’re an ‘A’ school for relationships, and we’re an ‘A’ school for safety. But if you look at our academic grade from the state, we’re a ‘B’. But I don’t think that tells the whole story," Sargable said.
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Sargable understands parents have a lot of options, but she can't help but think of the students who got away.
Students work with a teacher at Collins K-8 School.
"I’m not going to hold that against anyone, whether they choose private or charter, this or that," she stated. "I do sometimes think ‘gosh, I wish you gave us a chance. I wish you would come check us out."
McRae encourages parents to go check out their zoned public school in person. Some schools, like Collins K-8, even offer a virtual tour online.