An Alachua County public charter school has been rated among the top 20 elementary and middle schools in Florida, according to recently released rankings by U.S. News & World Report. 

The media company revealed its 2026 Best Elementary and Middle School rankings on Tuesday.  

Alachua Learning Academy (ALA), which serves grades K-8, was ranked as the 15^th best elementary school in Florida – a jump of 50 spots from last year’s ranking – and the 17^th best middle school in the state – a rise of 23 spots from last year’s ranking, according to the report.  

“This recognition is truly a reflection of our entire school community – our committed teachers, engaged families, and motivated students all working together to create a supportive learning environment,” ALA Principal KP Rivera said in a statement to Mainstreet.  

The rankings released Tuesday analyzed roughly 47,000 public elementary schools and over 23,000 middle schools at state and district levels based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, according to a U.S. News & World Report press release. 

“The 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings highlight institutions that excel in fostering student achievement and providing exceptional learning environments for all,” LaMont Jones, managing editor for Education at U.S. News, said in the release. “These rankings offer communities and families valuable insights into schools dedicated to preparing students for future success.” 

The media company’s rankings methodology concentrates on state tests of students “who were proficient or above proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while accounting for student background and achievement in core subjects,” according to the release. 

“Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score,” the release said. 

In addition to ALA, Expressions Learning Arts Academy (ELAA), a public elementary charter school located in Gainesville, was rated the 85^th best elementary school in Florida after being ranked 29^th the year prior, according to the report.  

Meanwhile, High Springs Community School, which serves pre-K-8, ranked as the 200^th best middle school in the state, according to the report. This was an increase from its 2025 ranking (258).  

U.S. News created a separate ranking for charter schools.  

According to the company’s methodology, this list analyzes public schools throughout Florida, “That were designated as one of the nation’s 6,617 K-8 charter schools.” 

While it was also included in the overall public-school rankings, ALA ranked as the fifth-best elementary charter school in Florida for 2026 and the sixth-best charter middle school in the state, according to the report. 

These were both increases from last year’s rankings, with ALA jumping from 19 to five in the elementary category and rising from 16 to sixth in middle, according to the report. 

ELAA, meanwhile, was ranked as the 27^th best charter elementary school in Florida, according to the report. This was a decrease from its 2025 ranking (10). 

To see more of the elementary and middle school rankings by U.S. News, visit https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/elementary-school. 

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.