Elementary Schools in Duval

This analysis examines 126 elementary schools within the Duval County school district in Florida, serving grades PK-5 and revealing a stark contrast between high-performing coastal schools and those facing significant challenges in lower-income areas.

The district's top performers are concentrated in affluent beachside communities, with Jacksonville Beach Elementary School leading as the #3 school in Florida, achieving near-100% proficiency in all subjects with only 11% chronic absenteeism and 9% of students on free/reduced lunch. Other standout schools include John Stockton Elementary School (ranked #41) and J. Allen Axson Elementary School (ranked #47), both with low absenteeism rates below 19%. At the other extreme, schools like Wayman Academy Of The Arts (ranked #2210) and Grasp Academy (ranked #2218) struggle with single-digit proficiency rates, chronic absenteeism exceeding 76%, and 100% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Charter school performance varies dramatically, with River City Science Academy At Mandarin achieving 98% proficiency in Algebra 1 while Duval Charter School At Westside ranks in the bottom 4% of the state.

Key metrics reveal a district average chronic absenteeism rate of 44.8%—well above the state average of 31.4%—and per-student spending ranging from $8,594 at New Berlin Elementary School to $28,895 at Oak Hill Academy, though higher spending does not guarantee better results. A notable bright spot is R L Brown Gifted And Talented Academy, which achieves 73% proficiency in 5th Grade Science despite serving a 58% free/reduced lunch population, demonstrating that success is possible in challenging circumstances. The data strongly suggests that socioeconomic factors and attendance rates are the primary drivers of academic outcomes across the district.