Summary:
There are three middle schools serving grades 6-8 in Jacksonville's 32206 zip code: Springfield Middle School, Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School, and Mattie V Rutherford Alt Educational Center, all part of the Duval school district.
Springfield Middle School is the standout performer in this area, with 66% of 6th graders proficient in English Language Arts and 61% in math, both exceeding district and state averages. It also boasts 90% proficiency in Biology 1 and 82% in Algebra 1. In stark contrast, Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School struggles significantly, with only 27% of 6th graders proficient in ELA and 11% in math, ranking in the bottom 9% of Florida middle schools. Mattie V Rutherford Alt Educational Center, an alternative school with just 67 students, faces the most severe challenges, with proficiency rates in the single digits for most subjects and a state ranking in the bottom 2%. A critical factor is chronic absenteeism: Springfield has a rate of 23%, well below the state average, while Gilbert (81.5%) and Rutherford (75.9%) have rates over three times higher, directly correlating with their low academic performance.
Interestingly, Matthew W. Gilbert spends significantly more per student ($12,070) than Springfield ($8,878), yet achieves far worse outcomes, highlighting that funding alone cannot overcome the compounding effects of high poverty and absenteeism. Both Springfield and Gilbert show high Algebra 1 proficiency (82% and 89%), but at Gilbert this likely reflects only a small group of top students taking the test. The data reveals a deep divide within this single zip code, where Springfield functions as a high-performing, stable school, while Gilbert and Rutherford grapple with crisis-level absenteeism and economic disadvantage that severely hamper academic achievement.
Thank you for your feedback!