Six Mile Charter Academy, Fort Myers FL

Original Research by School Decision on Six Mile Charter Academy

Six Mile Charter Academy sits on Lancer Avenue in Fort Myers, serving children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As a charter school, it operates within the Lee County public school system while running under its own governance. The enrollment is sizable for a PK-8 campus, with students spread fairly evenly across grade levels from kindergarten through middle school, and a pre-K cohort as well.

The student body is racially and ethnically mixed, with Hispanic students making up the largest share, followed by Black students and white students, with smaller Asian and multiracial populations. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that situates the school among communities with significant economic need. Data on English learner and special education populations were not available in what was provided.

On Florida's state assessments, proficiency rates across reading, math, and science are low and deserve a candid look. In reading (FAST ELA), fewer than four in ten third graders scored proficient, and rates in the upper elementary grades fell further. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders scored in the low-to-mid thirties in reading. Math results follow a similar pattern: third grade was the strongest grade, but fifth and sixth grade math proficiency dropped sharply, with roughly one in eight students meeting the bar. Upper middle school grades showed modest improvement over fifth grade but remained well below state norms. Science proficiency, tested at fifth and eighth grade, was similarly limited. These results run consistently below what would be typical for Florida as a whole, and parents weighing this school for academic outcomes may want to speak directly with the school about what instructional supports are in place and how they track student growth over time.

No trend data was available to show whether results have been improving or declining, so the current picture is a snapshot rather than a trajectory.

The school lists a Program of Studies among its offerings, though detailed course catalog information was not available beyond that reference. Because Six Mile Charter serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate and no AP or dual-enrollment data; those measures simply do not apply to this grade band.

The surrounding Fort Myers context shapes daily life for families here. Fort Myers is the Lee County seat and part of one of the faster-growing metros in the country, though growth has moderated from a period of rapid acceleration. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers area has seen significant residential and commercial development, and a publicly reported Amazon distribution facility and large master-planned communities reflect that ongoing expansion. Healthcare is the dominant employment sector, led by Lee Health and several other major medical employers. Most of the region requires a car for daily life, though the downtown River District is more walkable than the broader city.

Housing near the school reflects Southwest Florida's recent market: home values in the zip code are above the Florida state benchmark and close to the national median, though values have declined year-over-year by a meaningful margin, continuing a correction from the post-pandemic surge. Rents have moved in the opposite direction, rising modestly over the same period. The gap between what a mortgage and rent would cost each month is real but not extreme, and the rent-to-income ratio is on the higher side of what is generally considered affordable.

District-level context matters for any Lee County family. Lee County overhauled its student assignment system beginning in the 2023-24 school year with a "Proximity Plan," moving away from a broad school choice model toward neighborhood-based assignments and restricting busing to students within defined proximity zones. A voter-approved half-cent sales tax, running through 2028, has funded school construction and safety infrastructure across the district, but its scheduled expiration is an open question district leaders have publicly flagged. The district superintendent shifted from an appointed to an elected, partisan position following a 2022 referendum, with the first election held in 2024. These governance and assignment shifts are live variables for families making enrollment decisions.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 56% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 57% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 48% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 54% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 50 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 31% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 60% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 48% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 50% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 44% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 54% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 50% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 49% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 45% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 43% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

This schoolLEE, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income32%Higher-income43%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income29%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income28%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income43%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income28%Higher-income37%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income33%Higher-income34%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income42%Higher-income49%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income57%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income7%Higher-income18%11 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income6%Higher-income21%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income19%Higher-income37%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income25%15 pp gap