Education in Jacksonville, Florida

Last updated

Education in Jacksonville, Florida is available through both public and private sources.

Contents

Primary and secondary education

Public schools in Jacksonville are controlled by the Duval County School Board (DCSB), which had a 2009-10 enrollment of over 155,000 students, making it the 15th largest school district in the United States, [1] and 5th largest school district in Florida. DCPS has 160 regular-attendance schools as of the 2009-10 school year: 105 elementary schools, 28 middle schools and 20 high schools. The district also has an adult education system, with night classes at most high schools, three dedicated ESE schools, as well as a hospital/homebound program and four alternative education centers.

The total does not include charter schools, which numbered 13 for the 2009-2010 school year. Charter schools operate under contract to the Duval County School Board and follow the curriculum and rules of the DCSB. They are publicly funded and non-sectarian; most are oriented to help students "at risk". These include students who have been unsuccessful in a traditional setting; have below average grades; have difficulty on tests; have been retained in one or more grade levels; or have problems with behavior. [2]

Best schools

Seven of Jacksonville's high schools appeared in Newsweek magazine's annual list of the country's top public high schools. Two of these, Stanton College Preparatory School and Paxon School for Advanced Studies, regularly appear at the top of the list; they were ranked at #3 and #8 in the 2010 edition. The 2010 edition of the list further included Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (#33), Mandarin High School (#97), Fletcher High School (#205) Sandalwood High School (#210), and Englewood High School (#1146). [3]

Jacksonville, along with the standard district schools, is home to four International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme ("IB") high schools. They are Stanton, Paxon, Samuel Wolfson, and Jean Ribault High School. Jacksonville also has a notable high school devoted to the performing and expressive arts, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. The Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program is available at Duncan U. Fletcher High School, Mandarin High School and William M. Raines High School.

Magnet schools

A total of 71 schools offer magnet programs in 30 program areas. In addition to the required courses, these schools allow students to explore individual interests and develop talents in the arts, aviation, culinary skills, language, law & legal occupations, mathematics, public service, science and technology. Nearly 20,000 students participated during the 2009-2010 school year. [4]

Private schools

The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine operates a number of Catholic schools in Jacksonville, including two high schools, Bishop Kenny High School and Bishop John J. Snyder High School. [5] Other private schools in Jacksonville include Arlington Country Day School, the Bolles School, Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Providence School, and University Christian School. [6] [7]

Libraries

The Jacksonville Public Library had its beginnings when May Moore and Florence Murphy started the "Jacksonville Library and Literary Association" in 1878. The Association was populated by various prominent Jacksonville residents and sought to create a free public library and reading room for the city. [8]

Over the course of 127 years, the system has grown from that one room library to become one of the largest in the state. The Jacksonville library system has twenty branches, ranging in size from the 54,000 sq ft (5,000 m2) West Regional Library to smaller neighborhood libraries like Westbrook and Eastside. The Library annually receives nearly 4 million visitors and circulates over 6 million items. Nearly 500,000 library cards are held by area residents. [9]

On November 12, 2005, the new 300,000 sq ft (30,000 m2) Main Library opened to the public, replacing the 40-year-old Haydon Burns Library. The largest public library in the state, the opening of the new main library marked the completion of an unprecedented period of growth for the system under the Better Jacksonville Plan. [10] The new Main Library offers specialized reading rooms, public access to hundreds of computers and public displays of art, an extensive collection of books, and special collections ranging from the African-American Collection to the recently opened Holocaust Collection. [8]

Higher education

Jacksonville is home to several institutions of higher learning. There are two public institutions. University of North Florida (UNF), founded in 1969, is a member of the State University System of Florida. It has over 16,000 students and offers a variety of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. Florida State College at Jacksonville is a public state college in the Florida College System. It has over 80,000 enrolled full- and part-time students and offers two-year associate's degrees as well as some four-year bachelor's programs. [11] Additionally, St. Johns River State College is a state college in the wider area with campuses in St. Augustine, Orange Park, and Palatka.

There are a number of private colleges and universities as well. Jacksonville University, established in 1934, is a private, four-year institution. It enrolls around 3,500 students a year and offers a number of bachelor's and master's programs. Edward Waters College, founded in 1866, is Jacksonville's oldest institution of higher education, as well as the Florida's oldest historically black college. It enrolls around 800 students and offers associate's and bachelor's programs. Also in the area is Flagler College, a private college in St. Augustine. [11]

There are a number of specialty and for-profit schools in the area. These include Jones College, founded in 1918, which enrolls 630 students and offers associate's & bachelor's programs. Florida Coastal School of Law, founded in 1996, is the city's only law school; it enrolls 1,400 students, and offers Juris Doctorates and specialized law certificates. The Art Institute of Jacksonville is one of The Art Institutes, a for-profit chain of art schools. A number of other for-profit schools have campuses in Jacksonville.

A 2010 survey by The Florida Times-Union found that most employers view education from for-profit schools acceptable for entry-level jobs, but in a situation where two equally qualified individuals applied for a job, the person with a degree from the public university would be hired. Another consideration was accreditation; most institutions have at least national accreditation, but some individual medical or technical programs require additional accreditation. Another question was whether course credits would transfer to other institutions; most institutions do not accept credits from nationally accredited schools. [12]

Museums

There are twenty museums in Jacksonville that feature diverse subjects. The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens holds a large collection of European and American paintings and a collection of early Meissen porcelain. The museum is surrounded by three acres of formal English and Italian style gardens. The Jacksonville Fire Museum is located in the Catherine Street Fire Station, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Their displays feature 500+ firefighting artifacts including an 1806 hand pumper. The Jacksonville Maritime Museum collection includes models of ships, paintings, photographs and artifacts dating to 1562; [13] the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville focuses on art produced after the modernist period; the Museum of Science & History features a main exhibit that changes quarterly, plus three floors of nature and local history exhibits, a hands-on science area and astronomy at the Alexander Brest Planetarium; the LaVilla Museum opened in 1999 and showcases a permanent display of African-American history. The Karpeles Manuscript Library is the world's largest private collection of original manuscripts & documents. The museum in Jacksonville is in a 1921 neoclassical building on the outskirts of downtown. In addition to document displays, there is also an antique-book library, with volumes dating from the late 1800s. The Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery on the campus of Jacksonville University exhibits a diverse collection of carved ivory, Pre-Columbian artifacts, Steuben glass, Chinese porcelain and Cloisonné, Tiffany glass, Boehm porcelain and rotating exhibitions containing the work of local, regional, national and international artists. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

Jacksonville is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonville consolidated in 1968. It was the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020, and became the 10th largest city by population in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yulee, Florida</span> Census-Designated Place in Florida, United States

Yulee is a census-designated place (CDP) located within Nassau County, Florida, in the United States. The population at the 2020 United States Census was 14,195, up from 11,491 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Yulee is a residential bedroom community for individuals commuting to Jacksonville, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and various locations in Southeast Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida A&M University</span> Historically black university in Tallahassee, Florida

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1887, It is the third largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment and the only public historically black university in Florida. It is a member of the State University System of Florida and is accredited to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of North Florida</span> Public university in Jacksonville, Florida, US

The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public research university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Its campus comprises 1,300 acres amid a natural preserve on Jacksonville's Southside. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The current president is Moez Limayem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville University</span> Private university in Jacksonville, Florida, US

Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Located in the city's Arlington district, the school was founded in 1934 as a two-year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until September 5, 1956, when it shifted focus to building four-year university degree programs and later graduated its first four-year degree candidates as Jacksonville University in June 1959. It is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). JU's student body currently represents more than 40 U.S. states and approximately 45 countries around the world. As a Division I institution, it fields 18 varsity athletics teams, known as the JU Dolphins, as well as intramural sports and clubs. Among the top majors declared by JU students are aviation management, biology, nursing, business, and marine science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nova Southeastern University</span> Private university in Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida, U.S.

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a private research university with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida, United States, in the Miami metropolitan area. The university consists of 14 total colleges, offering over 150 programs of study. The university offers professional degrees in the social sciences, law, business, osteopathic medicine (DO), allopathic medicine (MD), health sciences, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, education, occupational therapy, and nursing. As of 2019, 20,576 students were enrolled at Nova Southeastern University, with more than 210,000 alumni. With a main campus located on 314 acres in Davie, Florida, NSU operates additional campuses in Dania Beach and Tampa-Clearwater, and other locations throughout the state of Florida, as well as in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Denver, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverside High School (Florida)</span> Public magnet school in Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Riverside High School is a four-year secondary institution in Jacksonville, Florida. It was originally named after Confederate States of America general Robert E. Lee. Located in the Riverside and Avondale neighborhood, it is the second oldest high school in Jacksonville operating at its original location, after its traditional rival, Andrew Jackson High School. The name was changed to Riverside High School in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Southern College</span> Private college in Lakeland, Florida, US

Florida Southern College is a private university in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. It offers undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs. The institution is home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paxon School for Advanced Studies</span>

Paxon School for Advanced Studies (PSAS) is one of four International Baccalaureate senior high schools in Duval County, Florida, US. According to the College Board's Advanced Placement Report, Paxon has one of the strongest math and science Advanced Placement programs in the state of Florida, and is one of a group of Florida schools invited to apply for the Siemens Advanced Placement High School Award. Only ten to fifteen schools per state are invited to apply. Some valedictorians have been accepted to the United States Naval Academy and different Ivy League schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Waters University</span> Private historically Black college in Jacksonville, Florida

Edward Waters University is a private Christian historically Black university in Jacksonville, Florida. It was founded in 1866 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church as a school to educate freedmen and their children. It was the first independent institution of higher education and the first historically black college in the State of Florida. It continues to be affiliated with the AME Church and is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan statistical area in the United States

The Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, also called the First Coast, Metro Jacksonville, or Northeast Florida, is the metropolitan area centered on the principal city of Jacksonville, Florida and including the First Coast of North Florida. As of the 2020 census, the total population was 1,605,848. The Jacksonville–Kingsland–Palatka, FL–GA Combined Statistical Area (CSA) had a population of 1,733,937 in 2020 and was the 34th largest CSA in the United States. The Jacksonville metropolitan area is the 40th largest in the country and the fourth largest in the State of Florida, behind the Miami, Tampa, and Orlando metropolitan areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Pajcic</span> American politician from Florida

Steve Pajcic is an American lawyer, politician and philanthropist. He served in the Florida House of Representatives for six terms, from 1974 to 1986. He was the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South University</span> Private university based in Savannah, Georgia, US

South University is a private for-profit university with its main campus and online operations in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1899, South University consists of its School of Pharmacy, College of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Professions, College of Business, College of Theology, and College of Arts and Sciences. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UF Health Jacksonville</span> Hospital in Florida, United States

UF Health Jacksonville is a teaching hospital and medical system of the University of Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Part of the larger University of Florida Health system, it includes the 603-bed UF Health Jacksonville hospital, the 92-bed UF Health North hospital, associated clinics, and is the Jacksonville campus of UF's Health Science Center. Together with UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, UF Health Jacksonville is one of two academic hospitals in the UF Health system, and serves 19 counties in Florida and several in Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Technical College</span> Technical College in Florida, United States

Florida Technical College is a private for-profit college with multiple campuses in Florida. It was established in 1982 and is part of National University College. FTC offers associate and bachelor's degrees as well as diploma programs on six campuses: Cutler Bay, DeLand, Orlando, Kissimmee, Pembroke Pines and Lakeland.

Gary Pajcic, was a high school and college athlete, lawyer, and philanthropist in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. He earned his Juris Doctor in 1972 from the Florida State University College of Law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward H. White High School</span> Public high school in Jacksonville, Florida , United States

Edward H. White High School is a public high school operated by the Duval County Public Schools. It is located on the Westside of Jacksonville, Florida. It is almost exclusively referred to as "Ed White High School," not "White High School".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville</span> Medical school of the University of Florida in Jacksonville

The University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville is the largest of the three University of Florida Health Science Center Jacksonville colleges — medicine, nursing and pharmacy. The college's 16 clinical science departments house more than 440 faculty members and 380 residents and fellows. The college offers 34 accredited graduate medical education programs and 10 non-standard programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National University (California)</span> Private university in San Diego, California, United States

National University is a private university headquartered in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1971, National University offers academic degree programs at campuses throughout California, a satellite campus in Nevada, and various programs online. Programs at National University are designed for adult learners. On-campus classes are typically blended learning courses, concentrated to four weeks or on weeknights with occasional Saturday classes. The university uses asynchronous learning and real-time virtual classrooms for its online programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doral College</span> Private, Non-profit online college

Doral College is a private, non-profit institution of higher learning based in Doral, Florida offering online degree programs. Doral College offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, including several Florida state-approved education programs.

References

  1. ↑ "Digest of Education Statistics, 2006". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  2. ↑ "Charter schools" Archived 2010-07-23 at the Wayback Machine Duval County Public Schools, School listings
  3. ↑ Mathews, Jay: America's Best High Schools: The List Newsweek magazine, June 13, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Magnet programs" Archived 2010-07-23 at the Wayback Machine , Duval County Public Schools, School listings
  5. ↑ "Bishop John J Snyder High School". www.bishopsnyder.org. Retrieved May 12, 2007.
  6. ↑ Reiss, Sarah W. (2009). Insiders' Guide to Jacksonville, 3rd Edition. Globe Pequot. pp. 189–190. ISBN   978-0-7627-5032-0 . Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  7. ↑ Carbone, Marissa; John Finotti (2004). Insiders' Guide to Jacksonville, 2nd Edition. Globe Pequot. pp. 209–210. ISBN   0-7627-3452-3 . Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Jacksonville Public Library: A History". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  9. ↑ "Jacksonville Public Library: Profile". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  10. ↑ "The Better Jacksonville Plan" . Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  11. 1 2 Reiss, Sarah W. (2009). Insiders' Guide to Jacksonville, 3rd Edition. Globe Pequot. pp. 184–187. ISBN   978-0-7627-5032-0 . Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  12. ↑ Coleman, Matt and Bauerlein, David: "First Coast employers split over viability of for-profit degrees" Florida Times-Union, September 12, 2010
  13. ↑ Chapin, Veronica: Florida Times-Union, May 27, 1998-Maritime museum on Web
  14. ↑ "INUSA tourguide: Jacksonville, Florida". Inusa.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.