How strong are the public high schools in Jacksonville?
With a fresh school year kicking off, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com, which incorporates comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews to help you choose the right school, to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year, as well as those that top the city's best public high school rankings.
Atlantic Coast High School's overall rating improved the most among its peers in Jacksonville, rising from a B to an A-, according to data from Niche.
For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 9735 R G Skinner Parkway, enrolls 2,183 students. Niche gave the school mixed grades: B on an A-D scale for academics, A- for administration and B for clubs and activities.
The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.
Academically, 54% of Atlantic Coast High School's students scored proficient or above in math, and 46% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 56% in math and 40% in reading.
It's not the only school that's climbed Niche's rankings this year. Englewood High School saw its overall rating go from a C- to a C+. The school is located at 4412 Barnes Road and is a bit smaller, currently serving 1,818 students, of whom 33% identify as black, 28% identify as white and 26% identify as Hispanic.
Niche gave Englewood High School mixed grades: C on an A-D scale for academics, C+ for administration and C- for clubs and activities. Its latest math proficiency was 54%, and reading proficiency was 26%. The school's upswing is notable since it serves a less-affluent population, with 51% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
Sandalwood High School also saw improvement in its overall rating, from a B- to a B. The school is located at 2750 John Prom Blvd. and has 2,737 students currently enrolled, of whom 41% identify as white, 28% identify as black and 16% identify as Hispanic.
Niche gave Sandalwood High School mixed grades — B- on an A-D scale for academics, C for administration and B- for clubs and activities. The school's latest math proficiency was 77%, and reading proficiency was 53%.
While some public high schools are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:
- Stanton College Preparatory, with an overall rating of A+.
- Paxon School for Advanced Studies, with an A rating overall.
- Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, rated A overall.
This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.
