The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in Math. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Charger Academy
Charger Academy is a regular public middle school in Jacksonville's Westside, serving sixth through eighth grade within the Duval County Public Schools system. It sits on Melvin Road in the 32210 zip code, a suburban residential part of the city well removed from downtown's redevelopment activity. Jacksonville itself is a sprawling, car-dependent city, and this part of it is no exception, with daily life oriented around driving rather than walkable districts.
The school draws a diverse student body. Black students make up the largest share of enrollment, followed by white and Hispanic students, with smaller representation from Asian, multiracial, and other groups. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing Charger Academy squarely in the higher-need range for economic context. IEP and English learner rates were not available in the data provided, so parents of students with those needs may want to ask the school directly about its support services.
State assessment results from Florida's FAST and Statewide Science Assessment are available for the most recent school year. The picture they present is mixed and worth understanding in full. In sixth grade, roughly one in four students reached proficiency in both math and ELA, which is low. Seventh grade shows a similar pattern for ELA and a modestly higher rate in math. Eighth grade math is a clear outlier: a strong majority of eighth graders tested proficient, a result that stands apart from every other grade and subject at the school. Eighth grade ELA remained in the low-to-moderate range, and eighth grade science came in below the one-third mark. Across most grades and subjects, then, proficiency rates sit well below what a parent might hope for, and this is a straightforward fact worth weighing. Parents may want to ask the school what is driving the eighth grade math outcome specifically, since it suggests something different is happening there, and also how the school is supporting students in ELA and science across all three grades.
Multi-year trend data was not available, so there is no way from this data alone to say whether performance is improving, declining, or holding steady. No program information was provided, so details on electives, athletics, enrichment, or supports beyond the core academic program are not something this account can speak to. Discipline and attendance data were also absent.
The comparison set for Duval County is limited to two districts, which made a meaningful positional ranking not applicable for the proficiency index. Graduation rate and chronic absenteeism comparisons were not available for this school, given that it is a middle school without a graduation cohort and that absenteeism data was not reported.
On housing, the zip code's home values sit noticeably below both the Florida statewide median and the national median, which reflects the Westside's position as one of Jacksonville's more affordable residential areas. Rents are also relatively modest by current market standards. Values have edged slightly downward over the past year, consistent with a soft patch in parts of the Jacksonville metro even as downtown and select neighborhoods absorb heavy investment. The broader Jacksonville metro is publicly reported as one of the faster-growing areas in the country, with major development concentrated along the St. Johns River downtown and in urban neighborhoods like Brooklyn and LaVilla, none of which is proximate to this school's location.
No parent-relevant changes from the Duval district were confirmed in the research available, so that section was left out rather than filled with guesswork.
For a family with a middle schooler on the Westside, Charger Academy is the neighborhood public option. The eighth grade math performance is a genuine bright spot. The broader academic profile, particularly in ELA and science, points to real gaps that the school is working against, and a parent thinking about fit should go in with clear questions about instructional supports, intervention programs, and what the school offers to students who arrive below grade level.
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