Best Public Schools in Zip Code 32246

The nine schools in Jacksonville's 32246 zip code, part of the Duval County school district, serve a diverse range of students from elementary through high school, including charter and alternative options, and reveal a landscape of stark contrasts in performance and resources.

For parents, the standout academic performer is Cornerstone Classical Academy, a K-12 alternative school that consistently achieves proficiency rates far above district and state averages, though it serves a predominantly affluent student body. In contrast, Duval Charter School At Coastal also performs well but serves a high percentage of low-income students, showing high performance is possible in different contexts. Among traditional elementary schools, Kernan Trail Elementary School is a rising star with strong math scores and a 4-star rating, while Windy Hill Elementary School faces significant challenges with critically low proficiency rates and a 0-star rating. The specialized Alden Road Excep. Student Center has the highest per-student spending ($41,101) and smallest class sizes but also the highest chronic absenteeism rate (57.8%). High school graduation rates are strong, with Sandalwood High School achieving an exceptional 99.3% rate.

Key takeaways include a major chronic absenteeism problem at several schools, a clear socioeconomic divide reflected in free/reduced lunch rates, and a spending disparity that does not always correlate with better outcomes—for instance, low-performing Southside Estates Elementary School spends more per student ($14,232) than high-performing Kernan Trail ($11,014). The data also suggests a potential "feeder pattern" disconnect, where gains at top elementary schools like Kernan Trail may not be sustained when students transition to the middle-of-the-pack Kernan Middle School.