Animo Mae Jemison Charter Middle

Animo Mae Jemison is a charter middle school serving students in a working-class corner of South Los Angeles, where families are looking for options beyond the traditional district path. Named after the first African American woman astronaut, the school carries an aspirational spirit, though its academic scores — sitting in the bottom fifth statewide in English, math, and science — suggest it still has ground to cover in delivering on that promise. Families considering this school may want to look closely at classroom culture, extracurriculars, and support resources during a visit, as the surrounding community has real needs that a strong school can help address.