Stowers Elementary School

13915 Barrington Stowers Drive

School District

Hillsborough
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 29, 2023

We moved to FHW due to excellent reviews that Stowers Elementary has and we are not disappointed. This is an excellent public school that by zoning ensures enrollment, unlike many other Charter or Magnet schools that distort communities in FL. We love Stowers and all the teachers/administrators/staff - thanks for all you do!
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2023

My daughter's in 2nd grade and while she's had slightly different experiences in K and 1st with different teachers/teaching styles, she overall loves going everyday and as parents we've been very impressed with the staff and facility.
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2021

My daughter went there and it is a great school! She loved her teachers. They cared about her and communication was wonderful!
Submitted by other on March 31, 2017

Not happy with this school. Military family in & out of a lot of schools...13 different ones so far between both of my kids. This one is one of the worst we've attended. Very behind academically & socially. Not enough of variety of work & recess may as well be nonexistent. Only 10 mins per day & not everyday! Kids learn so much better when they have more outdoor time! If your child likes sports this is not the school for you! Basketball goals are not accessible during recess & there is no school gym! Our last school my son had 3 recess per day everyday & PE on some days. There was a basketball court, kickball field, & lots of playground equipment all in the same area & a gym in addition to that! They also held a lot more parent/student activities. He thrived academically & enjoyed attending school! The only plus to this school are the friends he has made!
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2014

Excellent school. We had a great experience here with both principal and teachers. Several of the best teachers our kids have had were and are at this school.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2014

I have two sons that attend Stowers Elementary and a 4 yr old daughter that will in the future. I couldn't be happier with the teachers and the school as a whole. Every teacher my boys have had has been willing to go the extra mile for conferences, additional explanation of course work and just about anything we have needed. For anyone looking for an excellent public school I would highly recommend Stowers. This area has grown greatly but I do not feel my children's education has suffered. To anyone complaining about not enough of this or that then perhaps private schools are better for you. Public schools are always limited in some fashion, but Stowers ranks the best for us!
Submitted by parent on July 14, 2014

I found this school to be okay academically, but lacking in extracurricular activities and enrichment experiences. I think that the children would benefit from a more well-rounded education.
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2014

I couldn't disagree more with the negative comments about Stowers Elem. as it is an outstanding school. I'd like to ask those who posted negative comments what other recourses they took (talking directly with teachers, guidance, or administration OR volunteering at the school as a means to actually see better and more clearly what everyone involved with the school's daily success actually accomplishes) FIRST. IF the nay-sayers did ALL of the above with a sense of open-mindedness and a desire to actually problem-solve and you're still unhappy, OK. Yet, I have serious doubts. Stowers goes above and beyond on a daily basis- so many opportunities to love learning are provided to students. And, the 'fun' stuff is there if you look closely. Examples include Vocab Parade, Mother's Day Tea, Fairy Tale Bowl, Grandparents' Breakfasts, the 4th/5th Grade Talent Show, community forums for the chorus to perform, Author Trees, RP Goal Celebrations, Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dances, amazing field trips, art shows, Field Day events, etc. There's always something going on. Before you speak out AGAINST a school, please make every effort to do all you can FOR it first.
Submitted by parent on August 02, 2013

Stowers is a wonderful school. The negative comments on this website are ridiculous. I have 3 children in this school and have had absolutely no problem communicating with the teachers. All the teachers and staff care about the children. The comment about the AGP testing is common to Hillsborough County Schools not just Stowers. I could not be happier about the education my children have received and are receiving at Stowers.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2013

Stowers is a very good school. It is not perfect, as no schools are but the principal and assistant principal are committed to giving the students a quality environment with excellent teaching. I love that Stowers has a warm feel and has more of a varied population that reflects the real world. After all, the world is made up of all types of people from all ethnicities and backgrounds. This is one of the reasons I prefer to send my daughter to this school over the other elementary schools in Fishhawk. My child is in the AGP program and I can not say ENOUGH about how fabulous the teacher of this program is. For others that have been disappointed, I can not speak, but my daughter is doing quite well there. She has been there for 3 years and is passing all the rigorous tests with flying colors. Also, as for students not getting tested in a timely fashion for gifted programs, I encourage the parent who wants the process to go faster to seek private evaluation. It is a PUBLIC school for goodness sake. The staff must seek to educate all children there, which means school psychologists are testing a great many children for various reasons, not just gifted. LOVE STOWERS!
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2013

We have been at Stowers for a couple of years and the teachers and staff are not professional. They fail to return calls in a timely manner and do not work around the parent's schedule. Children with specific needs are not encourage to meet standards and teachers do not work with families to address these needs! This is our last year!!
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2013

We are a military family whose children have attended schools in three states. We love the small, "hometown" feel of Stowers. The teachers are truly invested in their students' success and the parents of the community are very involved. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this school!!
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2013

My daughter was in one of the 1st and 2nd grade combination classes. I was very impressed with the way the group of teachers was able to meet her individual needs so well. I wasn't sure what it was going to be like in the beginning because it wasn't something I had heard of before. There was a parent night explaining why they group the students, to allow each child to work at their level and be challenged. Since I still wasn't quite sure of the set-up, I requested a conference to discuss my reservations. They set up a conference for later that week. They explained how they group the students based on individual needs in regular subjects (math, reading, writing), but have all ability levels working together in science. They did really cool project together where groups researched their own questions and presented what they learned to the whole group. My daughter learned so much! She was very excited about learning. She really broke out of her shell and became more confidant. I am so glad that she just happened to be in that combination class. Although it really was 3 classes with 3 teachers. They really were all like a family. I don't know how those teachers did it!
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2013

We moved here from up north and my kids have been at Stowers since it opened. I have been impressed with the academics and technology since we arrived. More importantly, Stowers seems to educate a well-rounded child, a compassionate citizen, one who appreciates diversity, and a creative problem solver, not just a child who can do well on an annual test. My oldest child in the AGP program has always been challenged to work to her potential but I've noticed that teachers seem to try and bring out the best in each student regardless of their abilities. Teachers send out weekly email updates and we've had some make themselves available to parents and students through email, webpages, and phone in the evening and even on weekends. The PTA does a great job of keeping parents involved and their fall hoedown is not to be missed. We like the principal there; she always has been very approachable and seems to really want to do what is best for the kids. I will be Sad when my kids move on to middle school and are no longer a part of the Stowers family.... By far the best school in the Lithia/Riverview area.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2013

I personally disagree with some of the comments here. Stowers seems to really address the individual needs of their kids. Each class, made up of different kids, with different teachers should be different. Different types of classes, whether made up of different age levels or not, seems to be designed to do what is best for different kids and heir abilities. As a parent, I am glad they don't teach all students the same way.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2013

When you move around from state to state you experience difference different school systems. So far this move is number 3 with kids in school and thus far this is the worst school we have been at. There is a lack of concern for the above average students, leaving the above average students bored. A bored student is never a good thing! Academically speaking, they are behind the school we were last at in a different state! So frustrating. Also, the same classes are not on the same page. Meaning, one group of 2nd graders are not doing the same things as another group of 2nd graders. There is no congruency with classes. 1st grade should not be in with 2nd graders... unless it is know that the 1st grader and the 2nd grader are on the same level. But this is not the case. 1st and 2nd graders are put in the same class randomly... not good! All this and more has brought us to the decision that Hillsborough County Schools are not educating our children to the standards that we are used to. We are pulling our kids in a few weeks and we are HOMESCHOOLING them!
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2013

My daughter has been at Stowers for 3 years now. The teachers, administration and staff go above and beyond to take care of her and meet her needs, as a person and as a learner. I rest easy knowing that my child is well-cared for each day and that she is taught in a rigorous academic setting.
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2013

Our child started at Stowers in August 2012. Extremely disappointing, especially for a 2nd grade experience. The teacher has zero communication, unless asking for money of some kind to support a new fundraiser or whatever may be going on that week. Such a great experience in his other school so we are almost dumb founded at the lack of personable ability on the teachers part. At times, we wonder if she even knows his names. At the beginning, he came home from the day care that he started in preparation of the school year stating that he heard from other kids that his teacher that he was assigned to was horrible (apparently other parents and students had experienced her). Our response was don't listen to the negativity but then it slowly showed his face. Comments are now, well she never smiles and always just seems mad. Our child is definitely not use to this. Just found out that our child has never even met the principal, now this is unacceptable. We moved to the Lithia area for a supposedly better experience in the school system but it seems to be all about what parents can give and a huge lack of communication. So disappointed, thinking of selling our home to move!
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2013

I have to say, that when we found out we were moving here, I did a lot of research for schools in this area. They all are ranked pretty good, so I wasn't too concerned and even told my kids that they better step it up... What a let down. There is definitely a lack in communication, there were busing issues right from the start (too many kids, not enough buses), the lack in motivating the kids to work harder (I kept hearing, "She is working at her level", not acceptable! Kids need to be pushed/nudged to do better, work harder). 1st and 2nd grades are combined, with no rhyme or reason... classes are just thrown together without regard to the what level the child is at and then they work down to the lowest level, leaving the smarter kids bored! There is an AGP program, but it take a year just to get the testing done. No sense of urgency. I started the process to get my daughter into the program in September. December she had the first test, and now it is mid January and we still haven't gotten any farther. So, we have wasted a year and my daughter is bored at school. Oh, the homework they send home is a joke... just a time waster! Such a let down!
Submitted by parent on January 15, 2013

1st year here but noticing a pattern in lack of communication. Very little support given to new kids to the school for orientation; who the principal is, explanation of new/different programs used by the school/Florida. School bus was over 30 minutes late after school due to breaking down or no bus/driver available and no one from the school called to let parents know and this occurred 2 days in a row without a call. When we called the school to make sure the kids were safe, the office offered no reason or reassurance just that the bus was now in route. On the other hand, the PTA seem to be very active and busy with various events for the school and kids.