Duval Charter At Baymeadows

Duval Charter At Baymeadows is a large K-8 charter school in Jacksonville, FL, serving 1,399 students in the Duval district, with about 53% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

This school has experienced a sharp decline in recent years, dropping from a 4-star rating (77th percentile) in 2021-2022 to a 2-star rating (31st percentile) currently. The most striking finding is a "tale of two schools" within the same building. While the school excels in advanced, high school-level courses—with 97% proficiency in Geometry and 95% in Civics—it struggles significantly in core subjects. For example, only 30% of 6th graders were proficient in Math, compared to 60% statewide, and 44% of 5th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, versus 61% statewide. This suggests a strong program for top students but a failure to support the majority. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at 42.4%, much higher than the state average of 31.4% and likely a key driver of the declining test scores.

For parents comparing options, the nearby River City Science Academy Innovation School (just 0.28 miles away) offers a stark contrast. River City is stable and outperforms Baymeadows in nearly every core subject, including 6th Grade Math (88% vs. 30%) and 3rd Grade ELA (69% vs. 50%), with a lower chronic absenteeism rate (34.5%). While Baymeadows has increased per-student spending to $10,008, this has not translated into improved outcomes, pointing to potential issues with resource allocation or school culture. The school's declining trajectory and the "6th Grade Math cliff" (proficiency dropping from 61% to 30% in one year) are critical red flags for families to consider.