Animo Jefferson Charter Middle

Animo Jefferson Charter Middle is a public charter school serving 427 students in grades 6-8 in Los Angeles, operating within the Animo Jefferson Charter Middle District and serving a community where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Overall, the school's academic performance is below state averages, but it shows important strengths when serving specific groups of students, such as English Language Learners and students from low-income families, often performing better for these groups than many other California schools with similar demographics. The school has shown recent positive momentum, improving its statewide ranking, and notably, 8th graders perform significantly better than 7th graders, suggesting effective support as students progress. However, chronic absenteeism, at 24.8%, is higher than the state average and appears to be a significant challenge linked to lower academic outcomes.

Compared to nearby schools, there is a wide range of performance even among charters with similar student populations. For instance, while Animo Jefferson spends more per student than higher-performing charters like Synergy Kinetic Academy (which is less than half a mile away), it achieves lower test scores and has a much higher chronic absenteeism rate. This contrast with nearby schools like Alliance Kory Hunter Middle and Para Los Ninos Middle highlights that factors beyond funding and demographics, such as specific programs and attendance strategies, play a major role in student success.