The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Math. The lowest is 7% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Wayman Academy of the Arts
Wayman Academy of the Arts is a small charter elementary school in Jacksonville's 32205 zip code, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. Its enrollment is quite small for an elementary school, and every student enrolled qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, placing it squarely among Jacksonville's highest-need schools. The student body is almost entirely Black, with very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in what we reviewed.
The academic picture is one that parents should look at carefully. On Florida's FAST assessments, math proficiency across the tested grades sits in the low-to-mid twenties range statewide, which is well below what most families would hope for. Reading proficiency is even lower, in the single digits at two grade levels and only modestly higher at the third. Science proficiency at the fifth grade tested level is similarly very low. These results place the school at the lower end of the state distribution in each subject. The comparison data for Duval County did not produce a meaningful peer ranking because only one comparable school was in the pool, so we can only say the state picture is the most useful frame here. A parent considering Wayman Academy would want to ask the school directly about its current academic support strategies, any tutoring or intervention programs in place, and what trajectory the school is working toward.
The arts identity is the school's defining characteristic. The name itself signals an intentional focus, and for families seeking an elementary experience organized around arts integration, that orientation is the draw. The data we reviewed did not include detailed program information, so the specific shape of the arts programming, whether that means visual arts, music, dance, theater, or some combination, is a question to put directly to the school.
The school sits in a city that is growing quickly and is in the midst of a visible transformation, particularly in its downtown and riverfront areas. Jacksonville is publicly reported as one of the faster-growing metros in the country, with major residential and civic projects advancing near the urban core. The neighborhood around the school's LaBelle Street address is west of downtown, in a part of the city that sits closer to historic Riverside and Avondale than to the newer development concentrated on the Southbank and in LaVilla. Housing values in the zip code have come down modestly year over year and sit below both the state and national medians, making this part of Jacksonville more accessible than many Florida markets. Rents have edged up slightly. The rent-to-income and mortgage affordability ratios here are less strained than in much of Florida, which reflects both the lower price point of this part of the city and the broader Jacksonville advantage on affordability that publicly reported analyses have noted.
On the district side, we searched for recent Duval County Public Schools strategic priorities or parent-relevant changes but could not confirm specific lasting developments before our research budget ran out, so we left that section out rather than guess.
For a family drawn to a small, arts-focused school with a strong community identity and willing to engage closely with the school on academic progress, Wayman Academy represents a distinct option. The academic proficiency results are low enough that any family enrolling should go in with open eyes and a plan for supplementary support, whether at home or through external resources.
See more original research from School Decision →