Independence Classical Academy

Summary:

Independence Classical Academy is a public charter school located in Fort Pierce, Florida, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 418 students. The school is part of the St. Lucie school district, which is ranked 47th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past three years, Independence Classical Academy has seen a significant shift in its racial composition, with the percentage of White students decreasing from 80.31% in 2020-2021 to 71.53% in 2022-2023, while the percentage of Hispanic students has increased from 11.69% to 17.22%. The school has also experienced fluctuations in its chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 19.6% in 2020-2021 to 32.3% in 2021-2022, and 21.1% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state and district averages. Academically, the school's performance on standardized tests is generally below the state and district averages, particularly in mathematics, with only 68% of 8th-grade students proficient or better in 2022-2023, compared to 51% for the St. Lucie district and 54% for the state.

Interestingly, the nearby St. Lucie Virtual Instruction Program and Mosaic Digital Academy have significantly higher test scores, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to Independence Classical Academy, suggesting that the virtual learning model may be more effective for some students in the area. Additionally, the school's high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 62.75% to 65.79% over the past three years, is significantly higher than the nearby virtual schools, indicating that Independence Classical Academy serves a more economically disadvantaged population, which may contribute to the challenges the school faces in academic performance.

Detail:

Public, Charter, Alternative K-12

2902 S. Jenkins Road
Fort Pierce, FL 34981

(772) 837-9300

District: St. Lucie

SchoolDigger Rank:
1876^th of 2,256 Florida Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,031

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 418

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.5%

Hispanic:

17.2%

Two or more races:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Classical Academy ranks worse than 83.2% of elementary schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.16. (See more...)

Compare Details Independence Classical Academy ranks worse than 63.2% of middle schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.72. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Independence Classical Academy has the largest alternative school student body size in the St. Lucie School District. Racial makeup is: White (71.5%), Hispanic (17.2%), two or more races (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Classical Academy is 14. 2 alternative schools in the St. Lucie School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Independence Classical Academy employs 29.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Classical Academy is $9,031. 2 alternative schools in the St. Lucie School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Independence Classical Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Classical Academy 756^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Independence Classical Academy in the ranking list.)

St. Lucie:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Lucie 47^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Independence Classical Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2021	18.03	1894^th	2247	15.7%
2022	20.70	1836^th	2219	17.3%
2023	19.18	1928^th	2240	13.9%
2024	21.16	1876^th	2256	16.8%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Independence Classical Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2021	24.37	875^th	1136	23.0%
2022	40.07	676^th	1148	41.1%
2023	31.81	818^th	1177	30.5%
2024	37.72	756^th	1196	36.8%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Independence Classical Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2021	261	12	1	38	0	13	325
2022	243	5	3	41	0	6	298
2023	299	14	5	72	1	27	418

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Classical Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	325	22.0	14.7	65.2
2022	298	26.6	11.2	62.8
2023	418	29.8	14.0	65.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Classical Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	325	22.0	14.7	65.2
2022	298	26.6	11.2	62.8
2023	418	29.8	14.0	65.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Classical Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2021	$355 (4.6%)	$7,350 (95.4%)	$7,705
2022	$1,442 (19.8%)	$5,840 (80.2%)	$7,283
2023	$546 (6.0%)	$8,486 (94.0%)	$9,031

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Schools Near Independence Classical Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				FAST English Language Arts (2024)								FAST Math (2024)						Statewide Science Science (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Independence Classical Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2902 S. Jenkins Road	Fort Pierce	34981	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	Yes	No	No	Yes	(772) 837-9300	418	30	14.0	65.8%	299 (71.5%)	14 (3.3%)	72 (17.2%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.5%)								(n/a)	46.0	42.0	44.0	37.0	30.0	50.0			39.0	44.0	26.0	32.0	43.0	68.0	31.0	50.0						$9,031	$546	$8,486
St. Lucie Detention Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	1301 Bell Ave	Fort Pierce	34982	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	No	No	No	(772) 468-5194	39	3	13.0	35.9%	11 (28.2%)	21 (53.8%)	6 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)								(n/a)
Dale Cassens Education Complex	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1905 S 11th St	Fort Pierce	34950	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	No	No	Yes	(772) 468-5190	271	30	9.0	82.3%	31 (11.4%)	161 (59.4%)	62 (22.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.2%)								(n/a)				0.0	8.0	7.0	0.0	16.0				7.0	14.0	7.0		5.0	0.0	6.0	7.0	10.0	13.0	$26,184	$3,921	$22,263
St. Lucie Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	12051 NW Copper Creek Dr	Port St Lucie	34987	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	No	Yes	Yes	(772) 429-3913	25	0		12.0%	15 (60.0%)	5 (20.0%)	4 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.0%)								(n/a)																						$10,538	$855	$9,683
Homebound Program	Public, Alternative	K-12	9461 Brandywine Ln	Port St Lucie	34986	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	No	No	No	(772) 429-4570	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Mosaic Digital Academy K-12	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	9461 Brandywine Ln	Port St Lucie	34986	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(772) 429-5504																			(n/a)
Indian River Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	6055 62nd Lane	Vero Beach	32960	Indian River County	Indian River	No	No	Yes	No	(772) 564-3045	57	0		38.6%	36 (63.2%)	10 (17.5%)	9 (15.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.5%)								(n/a)																						$6,245	$39	$6,206
Ese Homebound	Public, Alternative	4-12	1939 SE Federal Hwy	Stuart	34994	Martin County	Martin	No	No	No	No	(772) 219-1200	8	0			2 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Martin Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1939 S.E. Federal Hwy	Stuart	34994	Martin County	Martin	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(772) 219-1200	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Classical Academy

What district is Independence Classical Academy in?

St. Lucie

What is the racial makeup of Independence Classical Academy?

Students at Independence Classical Academy are 72% White, 17% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Independence Classical Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 418 students attended Independence Classical Academy.

Is Independence Classical Academy a good school?

Independence Classical Academy ranks in the bottom 16.8% of Florida alternative schools.

Rate Independence Classical Academy!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.