River City Science Academy Southeast, 12397 Philips Highway: tuition-free charter school, K-8, 726 students in 2024-25, an A in 2026 state grades.

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, River City Science Academy’s admission process page and campus list, the Florida Department of Education’s Master School ID directory and 2026 school grades file, and the federal NCES school directory.

River City Science Academy Southeast is a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten to grade 8 at 12397 Philips Highway. The Florida Department of Education lists it as a charter school in the Duval County Public Schools district. Charter schools are run by their own boards under a contract with the School Board and have no attendance zones.

It is one of six River City Science Academy (RCSA) campuses in Jacksonville, according to the network’s campus list, which describes the schools as tuition-free STEM charter schools. The Southeast campus opened in the 2023-24 school year, according to the state’s directory.

Who to call
Address 12397 Philips Highway, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Phone 904-855-8010
Grades Kindergarten to grade 8
Type Public charter school, tuition-free
State school number 16-5641
Charter opened 2023-2024 school year

Enrollment and teachers

  • Federal count: 726 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 47 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 15 students per teacher.

State report card

Florida grades every public school A to F on the share of possible points it earns on the measures in the state’s 2026 school grades file: test scores, learning gains and, for middle and high schools, acceleration and graduation. The file sets an A for combination schools at 65% of points or more.

School year Grade
2025-26 A (79% of possible points)
2024-25 A
2023-24 A

From the state’s 2026 school grades file, the share of students scoring on grade level on the state tests in 2025-26:

  • Third-grade English language arts: 79%
  • English language arts: 83%
  • Math: 87%
  • Science: 85%
  • Social studies: 100%
  • Middle school acceleration (a state grading measure): 92%

The same file lists 22.4% of the school’s students as economically disadvantaged.

The full report card is on the state’s Florida school report cards site. It is an interactive dashboard; the figures above come from the downloadable file.

Admission

RCSA’s admission process page says families choose a campus and submit an application online during the published application period; applying does not guarantee a seat. When eligible applications received during open enrollment exceed the seats in a campus, program, class or grade, RCSA may conduct a publicly noticed lottery, and students not offered a seat may go on a waiting list. Applications received after the open enrollment window go to the bottom of the waiting list, and waiting lists do not carry over to a new school year. Priorities can include siblings of current students and other groups allowed under the school’s approved enrollment procedures.

Calendar and school hours

Charter schools set their own calendars and hours. Check the school’s website for this year’s dates.

More on Jacksonville schools

Frequently asked questions

What grades does River City Science Academy Southeast serve?

Kindergarten to grade 8, according to the Florida Department of Education’s school directory. It is a tuition-free public charter school at 12397 Philips Highway in Jacksonville.

What is River City Science Academy Southeast’s school grade?

River City Science Academy Southeast earned an A in Florida’s 2026 school grades, with 79% of possible points. It earned an A in 2025.

How do I apply to River City Science Academy Southeast?

Apply online through River City Science Academy’s website during the published application period. If eligible applications outnumber seats, RCSA may hold a publicly noticed lottery, according to its admission process page.