Education in Jacksonville, Florida facts for kids

Education in Jacksonville, Florida is available through both public and private options. This means you can find many different schools and learning places in the city!

Schools for Kids and Teens

Public schools in Jacksonville are managed by the Duval County Public Schools (DCPS). This school system is quite large! In 2009-2010, over 155,000 students were enrolled. This made it the 15th biggest school district in the United States and the 5th largest in Florida.

DCPS had 160 regular schools in 2009-2010. These included 105 elementary schools, 28 middle schools, and 20 high schools. The district also offers classes for adults. They have special schools for students with unique learning needs.

What are Charter Schools?

Jacksonville also has charter schools. In 2009-2010, there were 13 of these schools. Charter schools are public schools, but they operate under a special agreement with the Duval County School Board. They follow the same rules and curriculum as other public schools. Most charter schools help students who might be struggling in a regular school setting. This includes students who have lower grades or have trouble with tests.

Top High Schools

Some of Jacksonville's high schools are considered among the best in the country! Newsweek magazine often lists them in its annual rankings.

• Stanton College Preparatory School and Paxon School for Advanced Studies are often at the very top. In 2010, Stanton was ranked #3 and Paxon was #8.
• Other high schools that made the list in 2010 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).

Jacksonville has four high schools that offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. This is a special, challenging program for advanced students. These schools are Stanton, Paxon, Samuel Wolfson, and Jean Ribault High School.

There is also a special high school for students interested in performing and visual arts. This is the 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: Explore Your Interests!

A total of 71 schools in Jacksonville offer magnet programs. These programs cover 30 different areas of study. Magnet schools let students explore their individual interests and develop special talents. You can find programs in areas like:

• Arts
• Aviation
• Cooking skills
• Languages
• Law
• Math
• Public service
• Science
• Technology

Nearly 20,000 students took part in these programs during the 2009-2010 school year.

Private Schools

Jacksonville also has many private schools. The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine runs several Catholic schools. These include two high schools: Bishop Kenny High School and Bishop John J. Snyder High School.

Other private schools in Jacksonville include:

• Arlington Country Day School
• The Bolles School
• Episcopal School of Jacksonville
• Providence School
• University Christian School

Libraries: A World of Books

The Jacksonville Public Library system started a long time ago. In 1878, two people named May Moore and Florence Murphy began the "Jacksonville Library and Literary Association." They wanted to create a free public library for everyone in the city.

Over many years, the library system grew a lot. It started as just one room and is now one of the biggest in Florida. The Jacksonville library system has twenty branches (smaller libraries). These range from large ones like the West Regional Library (54,000 square feet) to smaller neighborhood libraries.

Every year, almost 4 million people visit the libraries. They check out over 6 million items, like books, movies, and music. Nearly 500,000 people in the area have library cards.

On November 12, 2005, a brand new Main Library opened. It is 300,000 square feet, making it the largest public library in Florida! This new library replaced an older one that was 40 years old. The new Main Library has special reading rooms, hundreds of computers for public use, and art displays. It also has a huge collection of books and special collections. These include an African-American Collection and a Holocaust Collection.

Colleges and Universities

Jacksonville is home to several places where you can go for higher education after high school.

Public Colleges

There are two main public colleges in Jacksonville:

• University of North Florida (UNF): This university was founded in 1969. It is part of the State University System of Florida. Over 16,000 students attend UNF. It offers many different bachelor's (four-year), master's, and doctoral degrees.
• Florida State College at Jacksonville: This is a public state college. It has over 80,000 full-time and part-time students. It offers two-year associate's degrees and some four-year bachelor's programs.
• St. Johns River State College is also in the wider area. It has campuses in St. Augustine, Orange Park, and Palatka.

Private Colleges

Jacksonville also has several private colleges and universities:

• Jacksonville University: This is a private, four-year school started in 1934. About 3,500 students attend each year. It offers many bachelor's and master's degrees.
• Edward Waters College: Founded in 1866, this is the oldest college in Jacksonville. It is also Florida's oldest historically black college. About 800 students attend, earning associate's and bachelor's degrees.
• Flagler College is another private college located in St. Augustine, nearby.

Specialty Schools

There are also schools that focus on specific subjects:

• Jones College: Founded in 1918, it offers associate's and bachelor's degrees.
• Florida Coastal School of Law: This is the city's only law school, founded in 1996. It offers law degrees and special law certificates.
• Art Institute of Jacksonville: This school is part of The Art Institutes, a group of art schools.

When looking for a job, many employers accept degrees from these schools. However, degrees from public universities are often seen as a strong choice. It's also important to check if a school or program is "accredited." This means it meets certain quality standards.

Museums: Explore and Learn!

Jacksonville has twenty museums where you can learn about many different things.

• The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens has a large collection of European and American paintings. It also has beautiful formal English and Italian style gardens.
• The Jacksonville Fire Museum is in the Catherine Street Fire Station. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places. You can see over 500 firefighting items, including an old hand pumper from 1806!
• The Jacksonville Maritime Museum has models of ships, paintings, and old items related to the sea, some dating back to 1562.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville focuses on art made after the modernist period.
• The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) has a main exhibit that changes often. It also has three floors of exhibits about nature and local history. You can enjoy a hands-on science area and learn about space at the Alexander Brest Planetarium.
• The LaVilla Museum opened in 1999. It has a permanent display about African-American history.
• The Karpeles Manuscript Library has the world's largest private collection of original old writings and documents. The museum in Jacksonville is in a beautiful 1921 building. Besides documents, it has an antique book library with books from the late 1800s.
• The Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery is on the campus of Jacksonville University. It shows a wide range of items, including carved ivory, old artifacts from before Columbus, Steuben glass, Chinese porcelain, Cloisonné, Tiffany glass, and Boehm porcelain. It also has changing exhibits of art from local and international artists.