Summary
San Jose Primary School in Jacksonville, FL, is a small K-5 school serving 244 students within the Duval district, and it faces severe academic and operational challenges, with a state ranking in the bottom 1% of Florida elementary schools for the past four years and a 0-star rating. The school is characterized by extreme economic disadvantage, with 95% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 65.8%—more than double the state average. This creates a "perfect storm" where high poverty, low attendance, and low academic performance are deeply intertwined, making it difficult for the school to achieve positive outcomes despite spending $13,195 per student, which is significantly higher than nearby high-performing schools like Loretto Elementary School ($10,093) and Mandarin Oaks Elementary School ($10,543).
When compared to neighboring schools, San Jose Primary stands out for its drastic underperformance. For example, in 5th-grade math, only 27% of San Jose students were proficient, while Mandarin Oaks Elementary School achieved 74% and Loretto Elementary School reached 67%. In 4th-grade English Language Arts, San Jose scored just 7%, compared to 70% at Loretto and 67% at Mandarin Oaks. Even Crown Point Elementary School, located less than a mile away with a lower poverty rate (47% free/reduced lunch), outperforms San Jose significantly, with a 29th percentile ranking and a 5th-grade science score of 59% versus San Jose's 32%. This suggests that San Jose's challenges are not solely due to its neighborhood but likely stem from internal school factors, such as instability in leadership or instruction.
One notable finding is a brief glimmer of hope in 3rd-grade English Language Arts during the 2023-2024 school year, when San Jose's proficiency rate reached 53%, above the district average of 49%. However, this success was not sustained, dropping to 12% the following year and 32% in the most recent year, indicating volatility in student cohorts or instructional quality. The school's rapid decline from a 37th percentile ranking in 2020-2021 to the 1st percentile is a major red flag, warranting immediate investigation into changes in school leadership or programs. For parents considering this school, the data highlights a critical need for support in addressing attendance, early literacy, and overall academic recovery, especially given the high spending that is not translating into results.
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