Education and schools in Jacksonville are a top concern for families moving to the city. There are plenty of options, including public, magnet, charter, and private schools. In line with the US standard, the school system in Jacksonville is divided into three levels:
- Elementary school – Kindergarten to Grade 5
- Middle school – Grade 6 to Grade 8
- High school – Grade 9 to Grade 12
Anyone moving to Jacksonville with children should factor in schooling when deciding which area or suburb to live in. The Duval County Public Schools district is one of the largest in the US and has nearly 200 schools, so settling on one can be difficult.
Things to consider when picking a school in Jacksonville include the type of school, the standard of teaching, the cost of tuition, the extracurricular activities on offer, and the proximity to home and work.
Public schools in Jacksonville
The Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), one of the largest school districts in Florida, oversees public schools in Jacksonville. Residents of Jacksonville can have their children attend a public school at little to no cost. Public school admission is based on catchment areas, which should be considered when deciding where to live in Jacksonville.
As is the case in most US cities, the standard of public schools in Jacksonville varies quite dramatically. Some public schools are excellent and teach to a standard on a par with fee-paying private schools. Others are failing schools that lack funding and staff.
The overall standard of public school education in Jacksonville is fairly good, and the city has some of the country’s top-performing public schools.
Charter schools
Jacksonville has more than 40 charter schools. These are a subset of public schools that are overseen by outside bodies. While charter schools teach the same curriculum as standard public schools, they have more freedom in their teaching styles and methodologies.
Each school sets out its operations, programme, goals, and assessment methods in its charter. Catchment areas don’t apply to charter schools, but proximity to home still matters: Jacksonville is a huge city, and a child who faces a long daily commute has less time and energy for learning.
Magnet schools
Jacksonville has more than 50 magnet schools. Like charter schools, these are part of the public system and publicly funded; what sets them apart is the freedom to shape their own curriculum. They let students follow a more vocational path that fits their strengths.
Magnet schools generally focus on a particular study area, such as the performing arts, languages, sports, or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths).
Areas and Suburbs in Jacksonville
Useful links
Private schools in Jacksonville
Private schools in Jacksonville are fairly plentiful, and many are affiliated with religious organisations, mostly Roman Catholic or other Christian denominations. Their teaching and facilities are generally a cut above the average public school’s. Advanced Placement and honours programmes are common for academically gifted students, as are sports, music, arts, and drama programmes for children with a particular aptitude.
The downside to private education is the cost. Parents who choose to send their kids to a private school in Jacksonville should be prepared to fork out a small fortune in tuition fees. On top of that, they’ll need to factor in other expenses such as uniforms, school transport, textbooks, extracurricular activities, and field trips. For families who live far from their chosen school, some private schools have boarding places for an extra fee.
International schools in Jacksonville
International schools in Jacksonville are in short supply: no school in the city follows another country’s national curriculum. Parents set on keeping their child in their home country’s curriculum for the sake of stability can look at options in the wider Florida area, where a handful of international schools offer boarding places.
Internationally minded families might also look into the International Baccalaureate (IB). Some of Jacksonville’s public and private schools run IB programmes at both the primary and high school levels. The IB is well respected and easily transferable, since schools worldwide teach it.
Useful links
Special educational needs in Jacksonville
Families dealing with special educational needs in Jacksonville will find the school system reasonably well equipped to support students with learning and developmental disabilities. Under federal and state law, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children with disabilities have fair access to quality education at no extra cost.
Both public and private schools in Jacksonville have special programmes to support students with learning difficulties. The usual goal is to integrate students with special needs into mainstream schooling. Where a child’s disability is too severe for them to benefit from mainstream education, there are also several dedicated special education schools. Each one builds its programme around the individual child.
Useful links
- Duval County Public Schools – Exceptional Ed and Student Services
- North Florida School of Special Education
- Mainspring Academy
Tutors in Jacksonville
Whether a child has fallen behind in maths class or requires additional support to excel in their college entrance exams, there are plenty of private tutors in Jacksonville on hand to help.
It’s wise to start by asking your child’s school and other parents for a recommendation. Established tutoring services also offer packages of various kinds: subject-specific intensive programmes, one-on-one home tuition, small group sessions, and online lessons.
A private tutor gives students a chance to close knowledge gaps, build confidence, get ahead in a tricky subject, or prepare for exams. Children who have moved from abroad, and whose first language isn’t English, can also use a tutor to sharpen their English language skills.