RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN

RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN, a mid-tier primary school in JACKSONVILLE, Florida, overseen by DUVAL, serves 870 students, covering grades K through 8. That puts it 44% above the typical public school in Florida, which averages around 604 students.

Across the 206 schools in DUVAL (131,562 students total), RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN records that the largest single group is White, at 57% of enrollment; the rest is composed of 19% Hispanic, 10% Black, 7% Asian, 7% multiracial.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 57 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.3:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 17.5:1 average. An estimated 35% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Duval County runs at roughly 47%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN sits in the top 10% of Florida schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 63.8%; actual is 80.5%, +16.7 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Duval County indicate median household income runs about $71,277, roughly 34% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN is one of 220 public schools in Duval County (combined enrollment of about 141,209 students).

Nearest neighbor: SEASIDE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL, around 0.1 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 59.6%.

Geographically, the school is in an urban area. As a public charter, RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN runs on public funding but with greater curricular and operational autonomy than a typical district school.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 52%: 572 students in 2018 compared to 870 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment ticked down from 16% to 10% over that span.

On the community side, members of the RIVER CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY AT MANDARIN community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.