The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in English language arts. The lowest is 53% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Healthy Learning Academy Charter School
Healthy Learning Academy Charter School sits on West Newberry Road in Newberry, a small Alachua County city that has been growing steadily in recent years. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade and is quite small, with a roughly equal number of students in each grade. It operates as a charter school within the Alachua County school district, meaning families choose it deliberately, and its intentionally compact size shapes nearly everything about the experience.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, multiracial, and Black students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is low relative to most Florida public schools, suggesting a relatively economically advantaged enrollment. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available, so families with children who need specialized support services should ask the school directly about what it provides.
On Florida's FAST assessments, the academic picture is uneven across grade levels. Third graders read at high rates, with ELA proficiency well above most expectations for that grade. Fourth grade math results are also strong. Fifth grade results in both math and ELA are more modest, sitting in the range that is roughly average for Florida elementary schools. Fifth grade science proficiency, on the Florida Statewide Science Assessment, comes in around the middle of the state distribution. The third grade math result is the one area that stands out as a soft spot, landing meaningfully below the other grades. A parent may want to ask the school what support is in place for math at that level and whether the pattern reflects cohort characteristics or instructional factors. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the districts in Alachua County, based on the comparison set available.
Year-over-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results reflect improvement, stability, or decline. Graduation rate does not apply here because the school does not serve high school grades.
No program offerings data was provided, so the school's curriculum model, enrichment activities, or any distinctive instructional approach beyond what the name implies are not described in the data available. Families drawn by the "healthy learning" framing should ask the school directly what that means in practice.
The school's parent district, Alachua County Public Schools, renewed a property tax in late 2024 that funds arts, music, counseling, nursing, library, and career-technical programs across the county's schools. Because Healthy Learning Academy is a charter, how much of that funding flows to it is worth confirming with the school. The district also piloted a year-round calendar at two other elementary schools starting in 2024, though one of those schools subsequently returned to a traditional calendar. This is a district-level development and does not appear to directly affect Healthy Learning Academy, which operates on its own calendar.
Newberry itself is a place worth understanding for any family considering the school. It is a small city with a compact, historically rooted downtown and a strong family-oriented community character, according to publicly reported local sources. A short drive west of Gainesville and the University of Florida, it offers small-town life within reach of a larger metro. The city has seen substantial residential growth, with large master-planned developments adding homes well beyond its historical pace of construction. That growth context has implications for the school: a small charter with fixed enrollment capacity in a fast-growing town may face demand pressures, and families should ask about the enrollment process and waitlist.
Housing in the zip code carries a median home value that is modestly below the Florida statewide benchmark and near the national figure, with a slight year-over-year dip. Rents have edged upward over the same period. For families weighing whether to buy near this school, the local market is somewhat more accessible than the Florida average, though mortgage costs at current rates remain a real consideration.
See more original research from School Decision →