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Kernan Middle School

Q: Is Kernan Middle School a good school?

Kernan Middle School ranks 728 th of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

728^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,216 Florida Middle Schools

Better than 40% of Florida middle schools

Summary

Kernan Middle School is a mid-sized public school in Jacksonville, FL, serving 1,086 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Duval County Public School District, where about 38% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Kernan presents a striking "two-school" story. On one hand, it is a powerhouse for advanced coursework: its students achieve exceptional proficiency rates on high school-level End-of-Course (EOC) exams, such as 82% in Algebra 1, 93% in Geometry, and 100% in Biology 1—all dramatically higher than district and state averages. On the other hand, the school struggles to bring most students to grade-level proficiency in core subjects. For example, only 30% of 7th graders are proficient in FAST Math, which is 23 points below the state average. This contrast is especially notable when compared to nearby Landmark Middle School, just 1.27 miles away, which achieves better grade-level results (e.g., 41% vs. 30% in 7th grade Math) despite having a similar poverty rate and even higher chronic absenteeism. Meanwhile, top-tier magnet schools like Julia Landon College Preparatory & Leadership Development School show proficiency rates nearly double or triple Kernan's in most subjects, highlighting the gap between neighborhood and magnet programs.

The school's biggest challenge is a severe and rising chronic absenteeism rate of 44.3% in 2023-2024, which has tripled since before the pandemic and is 13 points above the state average. This attendance crisis is likely a key driver of Kernan's mediocre grade-level test scores and its slow decline from a 57th percentile state ranking in 2015-2016 to the 40th percentile today. Notably, Kernan spends more per student ($11,394) than some higher-performing nearby schools like Duncan U. Fletcher Middle School ($9,461), suggesting that the core issue is not funding but rather how resources are used to address attendance and improve grade-level math and reading instruction.

1,086

Students ?

18.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,394

Per pupil spending ?

38.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2271 Kernan Blvd S
Jacksonville, FL 32246

(904) 220-1350

District: Duval

Students who attend Kernan Middle School usually attend:

High:

Atlantic Coast High School

Feeder schools for Kernan Middle School:

Elementary:	Brookview Elementary School
	Chet's Creek Elementary School
	Kernan Trail Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.1%

Hispanic:

24.4%

African American:

22.7%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Kernan Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 57th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 31% Florida)

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg56%

Florida avg62%

728^th of 1,216

Florida public middle schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 27Middle Schools in the Duval

54^th of 70Duval among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	43.2	728 of 1216	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.0	760 of 1205	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.9	732 of 1196	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.1	700 of 1177	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	639 of 1148	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.4	588 of 1136	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.0	515 of 1099	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.2	577 of 1035	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.2	540 of 1031	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	54.6	433 of 997	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.6	422 of 999	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.1	339 of 956	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	59.4	368 of 897	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.1	404 of 891	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.0	317 of 839	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	68.1	261 of 780	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.8	237 of 740	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	73.9	183 of 736	75.1%	★★★★☆
2006	69.1	198 of 675	70.7%	★★★★☆
2005	59.5	256 of 602	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	65.1	204 of 593	65.6%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Biology 1100%+26 vs state

Geometry93%+37 vs state

Algebra 182%+19 vs state

Civics73%-4 vs state

English Language Arts56%-5 vs state

Math53%-6 vs state

Science49%-3 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, March 12, 2018

No wonder the teacher hit the news for calling children the N word at this school. First, academics in this district and school is at the bottom.of the barrel. Teachers are no longer teaching a student when they push for Achieve 3000 to be the instructional source for language arts or I ready which replaces math. The gifted academy here is a joke in itself. It's created to separate the good disciplined and higher achieving students feom.the bad ones. But that still doesn't give students the quality of academics. Teachers calling students retarded in this "gifted" academy says enough. What a child needs is an academic environment where they can thrive at their next level and this is not the place. If your child leave here to high school, they will not be prepared for the already mediocre education this district provides let alone having the academic level to keep up in high school, thus,.if college, definitely not prepared for high school. Students fall so far behind the learning levels that their adult life will suffer. Find a better solution to middle school, this is not it. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, January 26, 2017

If you have a child with special needs, save the enrollment. This is day camp at its best but one of the worst environments that you can put your child in. Staff is so far behind in the learning curve of what children with special needs need to progress that the child is the only one being impacted negatively. Suspecting a staff member to put their hands on a student is unacceptable at any cost but to force that teacher to retire instead of holding accountable is just one reason to tag this school as awful and deplorable. Save your child's valuable time and go elsewhere. Close Quote

Schools Near Kernan Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kernan Middle School	Public	6-8	2271 Kernan Blvd S	Jacksonville	32246	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 220-1350	1,086	58	18.7	38.2%	403 (37.1%)	247 (22.7%)	265 (24.4%)	93 (8.6%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	70 (6.4%)	43.2	728^th of 1216 public middle schools	40.1%		39	760^th of 1205 public middle schools	36.9%	32	61.0	57.0	51.0	63.0	30.0	51.0	49.0	82.0	93.0	100.0	73.0	$11,394	$961	$10,433
Landmark Middle School	Public	6-8	101 Kernan Blvd N	Jacksonville	32225	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 221-7125	876	52	16.8	40.9%	304 (34.7%)	315 (36.0%)	132 (15.1%)	52 (5.9%)	4 (0.5%)	10 (1.1%)	59 (6.7%)	36.9	823^rd of 1216 public middle schools	32.3%		43.3	699^th of 1205 public middle schools	42.0%	124	52.0	51.0	57.0	46.0	41.0	63.0	39.0	95.0	100.0	99.0	63.0	$11,501	$1,207	$10,293
Duncan U. Fletcher Middle School	Public	6-8	2000 3rd St N	Jacksonville Beach	32250	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	No	(904) 247-5929	1,190	52	22.8	25.4%	714 (60.0%)	120 (10.1%)	259 (21.8%)	29 (2.4%)	2 (0.2%)	6 (0.5%)	60 (5.0%)	61.3	448^th of 1216 public middle schools	63.2%		59.5	470^th of 1205 public middle schools	61.0%	22	67.0	65.0	64.0	46.0	62.0	74.0	63.0	96.0	100.0	96.0	82.0	$9,461	$1,438	$8,023
Arlington Middle School	Public	6-8	8141 Lone Star Rd	Jacksonville	32211	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 720-1680	684	35	19.5	63.0%	129 (18.9%)	339 (49.6%)	155 (22.7%)	22 (3.2%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	32 (4.7%)	10.5	1115^th of 1216 public middle schools	8.3%		9.3	1117^th of 1205 public middle schools	7.3%	2	24.0	26.0	29.0	37.0	18.0	46.0	17.0	89.0		95.0	46.0	$11,263	$1,549	$9,714
Mayport Coastal Science Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2600 Mayport Rd	Atlantic Beach	32233	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	No	(904) 247-5977	821	39	21.0	22.7%	449 (54.7%)	160 (19.5%)	114 (13.9%)	19 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	77 (9.4%)	57.5	501^st of 1216 public middle schools	58.8%		59.8	466^th of 1205 public middle schools	61.3%	35	59.0	66.0	71.0	44.0	24.0	73.0	60.0	94.0	100.0	99.0	83.0	$9,814	$1,645	$8,168
Twin Lakes Academy Middle School	Public	6-8	8050 Point Meadows Dr	Jacksonville	32256	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	No	(904) 538-0825	914	46	19.8	43.8%	223 (24.4%)	368 (40.3%)	226 (24.7%)	38 (4.2%)	5 (0.5%)	4 (0.4%)	50 (5.5%)	21.4	1021^st of 1216 public middle schools	16.0%		17.8	1037^th of 1205 public middle schools	13.9%	16	46.0	41.0	46.0	40.0	32.0	29.0	39.0	74.0	98.0	98.0	62.0	$10,390	$1,975	$8,415
Southside Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2948 Knights Ln E	Jacksonville	32216	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 739-5238	805	39	20.6	47.0%	132 (16.4%)	181 (22.5%)	410 (50.9%)	52 (6.5%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	21 (2.6%)	9.9	1120^th of 1216 public middle schools	7.9%		8	1127^th of 1205 public middle schools	6.5%	7	31.0	33.0	32.0	26.0	32.0	34.0	14.0	99.0		84.0	44.0	$9,266	$1,122	$8,144
Fort Caroline Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	3787 University Club Blvd	Jacksonville	32277	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 745-4927	401	22	18.2	50.6%	74 (18.5%)	256 (63.8%)	39 (9.7%)	8 (2.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (4.7%)	37.8	811^th of 1216 public middle schools	33.3%		26.5	926^th of 1205 public middle schools	23.2%	115	48.0	52.0	57.0	46.0	56.0	46.0	49.0	77.0		68.0	50.0	$11,370	$1,160	$10,210
Alfred I. Dupont Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2710 Dupont Ave	Jacksonville	32217	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 739-5200	579	33	17.5	50.9%	98 (16.9%)	200 (34.5%)	215 (37.1%)	39 (6.7%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	17 (2.9%)	10.5	1114^th of 1216 public middle schools	8.4%		11.5	1099^th of 1205 public middle schools	8.8%	15	25.0	29.0	33.0	25.0	38.0	32.0	19.0	70.0		81.0	45.0	$11,179	$1,599	$9,579
Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1424 Franklin St	Jacksonville	32206	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 630-6700	555	25	22.2	78.6%	29 (5.2%)	448 (80.7%)	56 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	18 (3.2%)	9.6	1121^st of 1216 public middle schools	7.8%		12.2	1092^nd of 1205 public middle schools	9.4%	29	27.0	27.0	32.0	11.0	28.0	38.0	26.0	89.0			51.0	$12,070	$2,159	$9,911

Frequently Asked Questions about Kernan Middle School

How many students attend Kernan Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,086 students attended Kernan Middle School.

What district is Kernan Middle School in?

Duval

What is the racial makeup of Kernan Middle School?

Students at Kernan Middle School are 37% White, 24% Hispanic, 23% African American, 9% Asian, 6% Two or more races.

Is Kernan Middle School a good school?

Kernan Middle School ranks 728^th of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Kernan Middle School attend?

Students who attend Kernan Middle School usually go on to attend Atlantic Coast High School

Rate Kernan Middle School!

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.