:Duval County Public Schools

In the spring of 1864, J.M. Hawks opened the first free public school in the state, located in Jacksonville.{{cite web|url=https://www.jaxcf.org/file/2013-files/learn/publications/DCPS_TimelineOfMajorEvents.pdf|title=Duval County Public Schools Timeline of Major Events|website=www.jaxcf.org}} The school was later branded as the Stanton Normal Institute in 1868, with a student body of 400. Duval County paved the way for public education in Florida by establishing the first stand-alone high school in 1877, and the first large-scale public school transportation system in 1898.

The district's administrative offices are primarily located on the south bank of the St. Johns River in a six-story building at 1701 Prudential Drive. Duval County Public Schools is governed by the Duval County School Board, a body of seven elected officers, each board member representing a particular geographic area. School Board districts are somewhat analogous to City Council districts in that there are two council districts in each school board district. The current School Board members, in order of district number, are Kelly Coker, April Carney, Cindy Pearson, Darryl Willie, Warren Jones, Charlotte Joyce and Lori Hershey. Board members are elected every four years with two-term limits, with Districts 4 through 7 elected during midterm election cycles (next in 2026) and Districts 1 through 3 elected during presidential cycles (next in 2024).{{Cite web|url=http://dcps.duvalschools.org/Page/9202|title=School Board / Contact Board Office|website=dcps.duvalschools.org|access-date=2016-02-18}}

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DCPS has 163 regular-attendance schools as of the 2015-16 school year: 102 elementary schools, 24 middle schools, 1 K-6 school, 2 K-8 schools, 2 6-12 schools and 19 high schools. The district also has an adult education system through its Bridge to Success program and Parent Academy, six dedicated ESE schools, as well as a hospital/homebound program, virtual school, and six alternative education centers.

DCPS has used an attendance model of Kindergarten through Grade 5 for elementary schools, Grades 6-8 for middle school and Grades 9-12 for high school since 1991. Before then, Grade 6 was part of elementary school and Grade 9 was part of middle school (called Junior High in DCPS prior to 1988). Pre-Kindergarten education is available to all children from the age of 4 through the Early Learning Coalition of Duval's Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program.{{Cite web|url = http://elcofduval.org/|title = The Early Learning Coalition of Duval}}

DCPS has a wide variety of programs available to students within the district, and schools are categorized as either neighborhood, choice, or magnet schools.

All DCPS schools offer at least one choice program, special program, or acceleration program to students. The majority of schools in Duval County are boundary-based and serve students residing within that boundary. Some schools, such as non-dedicated magnet schools serve both neighborhood students as well as students residing outside the school's specified boundary, who are selected via lottery.{{Cite web|title = Access Denied|url = http://www.duvalschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=16124&dataid=13343&FileName=2016%2520SCHOOL%2520CHOICE%2520EXPO_web2.pdf|website = www.duvalschools.org|access-date = 2016-02-18}} In February 2016, Duval County Public Schools received a 1.2 million dollar School Improvement Grant for use towards the development of STEM labs in 11 Title-1 schools.{{Cite web|url = http://www.duvalschools.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=8080&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=31110&PageID=1|title = DCPS RECEIVES MILLION DOLLAR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT FUNDS TO SUPPORT SELECT ELEMENTARY STEM INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS AND EQUIPMENT}}

A total of 64 schools offer magnet programs. In addition to the required courses, offer a theme or focus that allows students to explore a special interest, talent or skill in fields such as the arts, aviation, culinary skills, language, law & legal occupations, mathematics, public service, science and technology. Duval County Public Schools contains both dedicated magnets, which do not have set boundaries, and non-dedicated magnets, which are neighborhood schools that also have magnet programs.{{Cite web|title = School Choice/ Magnet / Duval Choice|url = http://www.duvalschools.org/Domain/4417|website = www.duvalschools.org|access-date = 2016-02-18}}

Duval County also contains 34 charter schools.{{Cite web|title = Untitled Page|url = http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/information/charter_schools/directory/default.aspx|website = www.floridaschoolchoice.org|access-date = 2016-02-18}} These schools are located within the boundaries of Duval County, and operate under a state sanctioned contract with Duval County Public Schools. While publicly funded, DCPS does not oversee the daily operations and governance of charter schools. In 2024, 91% of traditional or boundary schools performed at the A, B, or C grade, while 78% of charter schools in Duval County scored an A, B, or C grade.

In 2015, Stanton College Preparatory School and Paxon School for Advanced Studies were named of the top 25 most challenging high schools in the United States.{{Cite news|title = America's Most Challenging High Schools national top 25 list for 2015|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/04/19/americas-most-challenging-high-schools-national-top-25-list-for-2015/|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 2015-04-19|access-date = 2016-02-03|issn = 0190-8286|language = en-US|first = Jay|last = Mathews}}

Newsweek also publishes a "Catching Up" list of 33 disadvantaged schools nationwide that challenge their students to participate in Advanced Placement programs which offer better instruction and a stimulating curriculum designed to improve academic skills and prepare for college. Because fewer than 10% of those sitting for the exams actually pass, the schools are excluded from the Best High Schools list. For 2010, six of the top 11 schools and twelve of the top 22 were located in Jacksonville:

Mathews, Jay: [http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/14/america-s-best-high-schools-the-catching-up-list.html?obref=obinsite "America’s Best High Schools: The Catching-Up List"] Newsweek, July 14, 2010

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Florida Public K-12 School Rankings are based on data from the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) provided by Florida Department of Education. Based on FCAT Data, among the state's 72 school districts, Duval County rates as follows: High schools—51, Middle Schools—52, Elementary Schools—42.

In 2007, the district instituted the Educators of Change program to identify future teachers among professionals and other individuals who have achieved success outside of the education field.

On August 23, 2010, Atlantic Coast High School opened for the 2010-2011 school year. It was the first new public high school built in the county since 1990 and cost $78 million. The school was constructed primarily to relieve overcrowding at the two largest high schools in Duval County, Sandalwood and Mandarin.Burmeister, Caren: [http://jacksonville.com/community/shorelines/2010-07-30/story/new-boundaries-new-school-changes-enrollment “New boundaries, new school changes enrollment”] Florida Times-Union, July 30, 2010

Jacksonville, Florida is located in Northeast Florida and is the largest city in the contiguous United States in land area. It is ranked as the 12th largest city in the United States in population with more than 800,000 residents. The Jacksonville metropolitan area, including surrounding Clay, Baker, Nassau and St. Johns counties, has a population of more than 1,000,000 residents.{{Cite web|title = About Jacksonville|url = http://www.coj.net/about-jacksonville.aspx|website = www.coj.net|access-date = 2016-02-18}}

Duval County and the City of Jacksonville merged in 1968, creating a single entity governing all of Duval County with the exception of the beach communities (Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach) and Baldwin. The Duval County Public School District includes the beach communities, as well as the City of Baldwin.

128,702

Elementary - 56,668

Middle - 21,138

High - 30,455

Exceptional Schools - 1,441

Virtual School - 303

Alternative Schools -2,319

Charter Schools - 11,951

Graduation Rate: 78.8% {{Cite web|url=http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/data-sys/edu-info-accountability-services/pk-12-public-school-data-pubs-reports/students.stml|title=PK-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL DATA PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS|date=16 October 2020}}

African American- 43%

Caucasian - 34%

Hispanic - 13%

Multiracial - 5%

Asian - 5%

American Indian/Alaskan Native - <1%{{Cite web|title = FL Department of Education : View Report|url =https://edstats.fldoe.org/SASWebReportStudio/gotoReportPage.do?pageNumber=15&tocOpen=open|website = fldoe.org|access-date = 2019-01-19}}

On April 13, 2013, it was reported that towards the end of 2012, a teacher at Cedar Hills Elementary School had students in a 4th grade class write notes stating, "I am willing to give up some of my constitutional rights in order to be safer or more secure." The students were then told to sign the notes. Aaron Harvey, a father of one of the students, found his child's note, written in crayon, and brought it to public attention.{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Stephanie|title=Duval schools: "Possible concern" over 4th grade activity on giving up constitutional rights|url=http://www.wokv.com/news/news/local/duval-teacher-tells-4th-graders-give-constitutiona/nXKxm/|accessdate=19 April 2013|newspaper=WOKV.com|date=14 April 2013}} In response, Nikolai Vitti, then the superintendent of Duval County Public Schools, stated "The Justice Teaching activity on constitutional rights that was conducted at Cedar Hills Elementary School is consistent with our efforts to broaden civics-based education and develop critical thinking skills among our students. The lesson builds awareness of First Amendment rights through a partnership with an association of local attorneys. Our possible concern rests with a follow-up activity that may have been conducted after the lesson."{{cite news|last=Malloy|first=Sade|title=Jacksonville parents concerned about son's First Amendment lesson|url=http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/article/308587/3/10-year-old-gives-up-his-Constitutional-rights|accessdate=20 April 2013|newspaper=First Coast News|date=13 April 2013}}

Following a petition with 160,000 signatures, Nathan Bedford Forrest High School (1959), originally an all-white school named in protest against school desegregation, renamed Westside High School in 2014 after decades of controversy.{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/bizarre/florida-high-school-at-last-breaks-ties-with-confederate-past/2157422/|title=Florida high school at last breaks ties with Confederate past|date=December 17, 2013|website=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=August 19, 2017}}{{cite news

|title=School named after KKK grand wizard to be renamed — finally

|first=Valerie

|last=Strauss

|date=December 16, 2013

|access-date=February 22, 2018

|newspaper=The Washington Post

|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/12/16/school-named-after-kkk-grand-wizard-to-be-renamed-finally/}}{{cite news

|publisher=CNN

|access-date=February 22, 2018

|title=Florida school will drop Confederate Nathan B. Forrest's name

|first=Michael

|last=Pearson

|date=December 17, 2013

|url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/us/florida-school-name-change/index.html}}

• Robert E. Lee High School was changed to Riverside High School
• Joseph Finegan Elementary School was changed to Anchor Academy
• Stonewall Jackson Elementary School was changed to Hidden Oaks Elementary School
• J.E.B. Stuart Middle School was changed to Westside Middle School
• Kirby-Smith Middle School was changed to Springfield Middle School
• Jefferson Davis Middle School was changed to Charger Academy

{{Portal|Florida|Schools}}

• List of schools in Duval County, Florida

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• [http://www.duvalschools.org Duval County Public Schools Official Website]
• [http://www.duvalschools.org//Domain/4440 School Board information]

{{Duval County Public Schools}}

{{City of Jacksonville}}

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Duval County

Category:Government of Jacksonville, Florida

Category:Education in Jacksonville, Florida

Category:1864 establishments in Florida

Category:School districts established in 1864