Henderson Hammock Charter School K-8, Tampa | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

I am not happy with my experience @ HHCS. Where do I begin? Initially, I was beyond pleased with the school. There was recently a change in principals. I’m not sure if that is when everything changed, but things are a bit different.
The CAR LINE has always been a BIG ISSUE. The school has tried different ways to speed up the process, but nothing has helped. I believe this is not a car line issue, but an over-crowded issue. The school opened with grades K-5, and now is K-8. I don’t think the car line will ever be resolved as long as the school is over populated. To make matters worse, every so often, the school decides to have a Krispy Kreme day, where parents can buy donuts in the morning’s car line. I understand this is fund-raising, but this is the worst time to try to pull this off. Traffic is always backed up on Linebaugh and Henderson.
SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY – I completely agree with school uniforms, however, this school discriminates who they are going to enforce the policy with. I have more than 1 child attending the school, however, only 1 of them is “harassed” when something is missing from their uniform (ex: if the child forgot to wear a black belt). This child has been threatened with detention, lunch clean up, and other things. I’ve noticed that is not the case across the board. As I have noticed that there is an extreme amount of kids not completely following the policy. The biggest issue seems to be the shoes. We were told the very first week our child had to get new sneakers. The all black sneakers with a thin white trim near the bottom were not acceptable. However, we are getting close to the end of the year, and I have seen dozens of children with very colorful (out of code) shoes. The school also demands that you buy a Henderson Hammock logo jacket, which is mandatory during winter months. Why are they so focused on jackets when the students take them off in the building? Why demand a parent to buy a specific jacket for their child? That should be the choice of the parent. What is the difference between mandatory jackets, but any style of back-pack? I personally prefer a heavier coat for my children, not their jacket.
I honestly believe the school could be better if the staff were more concerned and focused on the more important issues – like academics.
AFTER CARE – there are after care teachers that do not speak English well. This may not be the best position for teachers trying to help students with homework.
CLASS ROOMS – Again, the school feels very crowded. The class rooms are the smallest I’ve seen in any school. At one point my child had nearly 25 students in the class. In the beginning of the year, the school asks each student to have all the items on the school supply list. One teacher confessed that she had absolutely no space for all the items her students brought in, so she started giving things away. So how much of the supplies did my child actually use?
ACCEPTANCE – this school doesn’t seem to help children who are different, unique, or struggling. I’ve come across many parents who ultimately pulled their child out of the school, based on false pretenses. They say they are prepared to work with children who need individual attention, but I don’t believe this to be true.
Once again, I think the school has great potential and academically, they score high. It’s just tough to be excited about the school with their many nuances.

My son started going here for 5th grade and we are halfway through the year. Any issues here are about the same as any other school. Car line can be long if you wait until the last minute but they keep it moving as quickly and efficiently as possible. They seem to have lots of extra activities such as multicultural night and dances.

The uniform is purchased from one store which can be a hassle but honestly it’s not that big of a deal. Students have the option of wearing a jacket or sweater which are about $20 to $30. They do have used items available for purchase in the school’s office.

I love that the principal sends out reminders, newsletters, and updates almost weekly. My son’s teacher this year keeps in contact through an app however she also has provided us with her email and cell phone number if necessary. She has been very helpful and my son hasn’t had any complaints.

Office staff can be a little disorganized at times.

My dd has been attending Henderson Hammock since January 2014 (3rd grade) which was the school’s 3rd year being open. Since then we’ve seen lots of changes implemented that have helped the school as it has grown. For instance, drop off in the morning used to be a total nightmare, but it is so organized now a much easier process. Additionally, the curriculum includes college-prep for every grade, right down to kindergarten. Although they are bound by “common core” they teach above and beyond that which I feel is giving my daughter an advantage over typical public schools. We absolutely adore the staff there too. They are always helpful, respectful, and friendly.

Henderson Hammock, keep up the great work!