The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Z.e.c.a. School of Arts and Technology
Z.E.C.A. School of Arts and Technology is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Jacksonville, a military town built around Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The school is small, with enrollment distributed across its grade band, and serves a student population that is economically disadvantaged and predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students.
The school's academic performance on state end-of-grade tests shows proficiency rates below the midpoint. In English language arts, about four in ten students tested reached proficiency. In math, about three in ten students reached proficiency. In science, about one-third of students tested reached proficiency. These are measured results, not projections. A parent may want to look into what academic supports or interventions the school is using to address performance in these areas, and what the school's trajectory has been over time.
Economically, nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the school's enrollment of families with low household income. This is typical for Jacksonville, where military families and others in the area often fall into economic categories that qualify for the program.
Z.E.C.A.'s identity as an arts-and-technology school is central to its mission, though the data provided does not detail the specific program offerings, curriculum integration, or how the arts and technology focus shapes daily instruction and student experience. This is something a parent would want to understand directly from the school.
The school operates under a charter renewal that was granted in April 2023 after the State Board of Education reversed an initial non-renewal decision by the Charter School Advisory Board. The renewal came after parent advocacy and was conditional, carrying stipulations and a shorter three-year term rather than the longer cycle typical for charter schools. For families considering enrollment, this means the school's continued operation depends on meeting specified performance benchmarks during this renewal period. That context is worth understanding alongside the current test results.
Jacksonville itself is a young military town with affordable housing and a strong presence of chain retail and services along main commercial corridors. Downtown is walkable with parks, riverfront access, and civic investment. The broader county is growing through new residential subdivisions. For a school family, the town offers convenience and military-culture institutional knowledge among landlords and service providers, though day-to-day life outside the downtown and base-adjacent areas is car-dependent.
State testing data for trends, special education enrollment, English learner enrollment, and graduation rates were not available or do not apply to this school's grade band. A parent seeking fuller context on the school's academic direction would benefit from asking the school directly about recent performance trends, support structures for struggling learners, and how the arts-and-technology focus translates into classroom practice.
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