Northwest Elementary, Home of the Nighthawks!

Northwest Elementary opened in August of 1987. In its first year, Northwest Elementary students were housed on the campus of Claywell Elementary while the current school building was being constructed. Northwest Elementary’s dedication was held on March 20, 1988. In August of 1988, the “New” Northwest Elementary opened its doors to parents and students for the first time. Northwest’s mascot is the Nighthawk which is a native bird indigenous to this area.

Since its inception, Northwest has distinguished itself as a center of excellence by outscoring and outperforming other elementary schools across Hillsborough County. Northwest has continued this level of excellence by maintaining its School Grade of “A” since 1999 and the Five Star School Award recipient since 1999. In addition, fostering a strong sense of patriotism is a core value. Northwest has become renowned for its annual Patriotic Program. The program was initiated and created by the Northwest teachers and administration to develop a core belief in students to appreciate the sacrifice of the military, our veterans and to respect the Stars and Stripes. The program is held around Veteran’s Day and is widely attended by all students, staff, the Northwest community and school district personnel. The Patriotic Program has been featured on Bay News 9, in the Tampa Tribune and it has been broadcast on the Education Channel.