Episcopal School of Jacksonville
{{Short description|Prep school in Jacksonville, Florida, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox school
|name = Episcopal School of Jacksonville
|image = File:ESJ P&L Halls.jpg
|established = 1966
|type = Private, Coeducational
|head =
|streetaddress = 4455 Atlantic Boulevard
|city = Jacksonville
|state = Florida
|zipcode = 32207-2197
|country = USA
|coordinates = {{coord|30|18|39|N|81|37|18|W|type:edu_region:US-FL|display=inline,title}}
|enrollment = 995[http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/6259 "Episcopal School of Jacksonville"] Private School Review, July 13, 2010
|faculty = 82
|staff = 60
|campus = {{ubl|Suburban, Munnerlyn Campus|Suburban, Beaches Campus|Suburban, St. Mark's Campus}}
|grades = {{ubl|PreK-3 - Sixth grade|Age 1 - Sixth grade|6 - 12}}
|campus_size = {{convert|56|acre|km2}}
|free_label = '25-'26 Tuition
|free = $33,750 (Upper School)
$32,600 (Middle School)https://esj.org/tuition-financial-aid/2025-2026-tuition-and-fee-schedule-munnerlyn-campus/
|mascot = Eagle
|colors = Maroon and Gold {{color box|#990000}}{{color box|#FFD700}}
|status = Open
|homepage = http://www.esj.org
}}
Episcopal School of Jacksonville is an independent, coeducational private college preparatory school in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was founded in 1966 by the Episcopal Diocese of Florida.{{Cite web |url=http://www.episcopalhigh.org/about_us/traditions_history/index.aspx |title=Traditions & History |publisher=episcopalhigh.org |access-date=October 22, 2009 |archive-date=November 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091101034155/http://www.episcopalhigh.org/about_us/traditions_history/index.aspx |url-status=dead }} The school has two lower schools, a middle school and a high school and enrolls about 1,200 students a year.{{Cite web |url= http://www.episcopalhigh.org/campus_life/academics/at_a_glance/index.aspx|title= At A Glance|publisher=episcopalhigh.org |access-date=October 22, 2009 }}
History
St. John's Cathedral Parishioner Mary Packer-Cummings, who died in 1912, willed {{convert|28|acre|m2}} of land to St. John's Cathedral. The Episcopal Diocese of Florida operated a boys' home on the site from 1921, but this closed in 1953 due to financial problems. At that time, the church began to plan to establish a private high school.
Jacksonville Episcopal High School opened on September 4, 1967. The name was changed to Episcopal High School of Jacksonville in 1987, and to Episcopal School of Jacksonville in 2011, reflecting its expansion of grades served.{{cite news |title= Episcopal High School of Jacksonville changes its name |author= Mary Kelli Palka |url= http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/479262/mary-kelli-palka/2011-07-26/episcopal-high-school-jacksonville-changes-its-name|newspaper= The Florida Times-Union |date= July 26, 2011 |access-date=July 26, 2011}}
Today, the school has three campuses, including two lower school campuses (St. Mark's and Beaches Campuses), a middle school and a high school (Munnerlyn Campus), serving students from age 1 through grade 12. A couple of miles away along the banks of the Arlington River is the Episcopal's Knight Sports Campus. USTA tennis courts, a boathouse, lacrosse fields, a cross country trail and field house are on the Knight Campus.
Despite its affiliation with the Episcopal church and its Christian mission, the school admits students of any religion, ethnic background, and nationality.{{Cite web|url= http://www.episcopalhigh.org/admissions/index.aspx|title= Admissions|publisher= episcopalhigh.org|access-date= October 22, 2009|archive-date= November 5, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091105215454/http://www.episcopalhigh.org/admissions/index.aspx|url-status= dead}}
The school is governed by a board of trustees, which is approved by the Executive Counsel the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. The board is responsible for establishing school policy, managing assets, and selecting a head of school. The dean of St. John's Cathedral is vice-chair and the clergy member of the board.{{Cite web |url=http://www.episcopalhigh.org/about_us/leadership/index.aspx|title= 2009-2010 Leadership|publisher=episcopalhigh.org |access-date=October 22, 2009 }}
The overall student to teacher ratio is 10:1, with the average class size at around 17. Episcopal offers 23 AP courses. In 2009, 91 students (11%) made a perfect score of 5 on an AP exam. Of Episcopal's 90 faculty members, 94% have 4-year degrees or higher, 31% have graduate degrees, and 1% have a Ph.D. The average tenure is almost 20 years. A major achievement for the school is its 100% college placement rate.
Episcopal was the site of a school shooting on March 6, 2012. Shane Schumerth, who had been fired from his job as a Spanish teacher, shot and killed Dale Regan, head of school, before committing suicide. Schumerth, who had been struggling with depression, was fired that morning; he returned to the campus at 1:15 p.m. with an AK-47 assault rifle concealed in a guitar case. He entered Regan's office and shot her several times before shooting himself.{{cite news |title=Episcopal school head Dale Regan killed by fired teacher, who then kills himself |author= Jim Schoettler |url= http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-03-06/story/episcopal-school-head-dale-regan-killed-fired-teacher-who-then-kills |newspaper= The Florida Times-Union |date= March 6, 2012 |access-date=March 28, 2013}}{{cite news |title='Shane, no, no!': New details of Episcopal school shooting |author= Dan Scanlan |url= http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-04-20/story/shane-no-no-new-details-episcopal-school-shooting |newspaper= The Florida Times-Union |date= April 23, 2012 |access-date=March 28, 2013}} In 2013, the school dedicated the Regan Plaza at the Great Oak in Dale Regan's memory.
Notable alumni
{{More citations needed section|date=November 2012}}
- David Duval, professional golfer
- Bill Forrester, Bronze medalist swimmer in the 200 meter butterfly at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Tyrone Gayle, spokesman for Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine and Kamala Harris
- Nancy Hogshead-Makar, swimmer at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Hampton Catlin, Inventor of Sass and Haml
- Charlie Hunt, Arena Football League player
- Jorge Oliver, swimmer for Puerto Rico in the men's 200 m individual medley at the 2004 Summer Olympics{{cite news|title=Olympic Games: Episcopalian to swim for Puerto Rico|url=http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/3577_48147_ENG_HTM.htm|publisher=Episcopal News Service|date=10 August 2004|access-date=May 6, 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093227/http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/3577_48147_ENG_HTM.htm|url-status=dead}}
- Sha'reff Rashad, former football player
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Episcopal School of Jacksonville}}
- [http://www.episcopalhigh.org/ Episcopal High School of Jacksonville]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Episcopal High School Of Jacksonville}}
Category:Educational institutions established in 1966
Category:Episcopal schools in the United States
Category:High schools in Jacksonville, Florida
Category:Preparatory schools in Florida
Category:Private high schools in Florida
Category:Private middle schools in Florida