Seaside Charter North Campus

Seaside Charter North Campus is a public charter elementary school in Jacksonville, FL, serving 496 students in grades PK through 7 within the Duval school district, which ranks in the bottom third of Florida districts.

Seaside Charter North Campus faces significant challenges, most notably a severe chronic absenteeism crisis. In the 2023-2024 school year, over 50% of students were chronically absent, far exceeding the state average of 31.4% and even higher than nearby San Mateo Elementary School, which has a much healthier rate of 37.4%. This absenteeism is likely a primary driver of the school's low academic performance, which has earned it a 1-star rating. Math scores are a particular weakness, with only 14% of 7th graders proficient in math compared to 53% statewide. However, there is a bright spot in 4th Grade English Language Arts (ELA), where 55% of students are proficient, slightly above the district average and a significant improvement from 32% just two years prior. This suggests that literacy instruction is improving, even as math instruction struggles.

Interestingly, the school's student population is becoming less economically disadvantaged, with the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch dropping from 56% to 41% in recent years. This shift makes the comparison to San Mateo Elementary School particularly striking. Despite having a similar rate of economic disadvantage and lower per-student spending, San Mateo achieves dramatically better results, ranking in the 57th percentile compared to Seaside's 17th. This suggests that factors like school culture and teaching quality are key drivers of success. For Seaside, the most impactful and cost-effective intervention may be to aggressively tackle chronic absenteeism, as reducing that rate could significantly improve academic outcomes without requiring a massive budget increase.