Here are 75 Jacksonville-area ‘schools of excellence’ the state just recognized for success
There are some really great schools in Northeast Florida.
Thanks to Florida’s Board of Education, there’s also a list identifying the 75 First Coast schools the state considers “schools of excellence,” a standard of distinction spelled out in state law.
“This is just another example of the great work that’s happening across our state, the hard work of our teachers and students,” Florida Department of Education Senior Chancellor Adam Miller said at the board’s last meeting where the “excellence” tag was accorded to 783 schools statewide for the 2022-23, including 30 in Duval County.
The label — designed for schools placing in the 80th percentile or higher in state school-grade calculations at least twice in the past three years — has real-life meaning for conventional and public charter schools because it waives some requirements that just don’t apply to private and religious schools.
It also carries bragging rights that just feel good to hold.
“We are thrilled to extend congratulations … for this remarkable achievement,” River City Science Academy's management tweeted Tuesday about the designation at three of its Jacksonville campuses.
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Accolades have their limits, of course. Three of Duval County’s honored schools — Atlantic Beach, Seabreeze and John Stockton elementaries — were also on hypothetical lists of potential school closings offered last month to School Board members for consideration that’s scheduled to continue with a workshop April 16.
This is the full list of Duval County’s 30 schools of excellence:
Elementaries (14)
Ruth N. Upson Elementary
Atlantic Beach Elementary
Hendricks Avenue Elementary
San Pablo Elementary
John Stockton Elementary
New Berlin Elementary
Bertram Springs Elementary
Seabreeze Elementary
Neptune Beach Elementary
Alimacani Elementary
Mandarin Oaks Elementary
Chet’s Creek Elementary
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Middle schools (4)
Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Development School
Fletcher Middle
James Weldon Johnson College Preparatory Middle
LaVilla School of the Arts
Combination (1)
Darnell Cookman Middle/High School
High schools (5)
Paxon School of Advanced Studies
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
Stanton College Preparatory
Wolfson High
Sandalwood High
Charters (6)
River City Science Elementary Academy (grades K-5)
River City Science Academy (6-12)
River City Science Academy at Mandarin (K-8)
Duval Charter School at Flagler Center (K-8)
Duval Charter High School at Baymeadows (9-12)
Seaside Community Charter School (K-7)
What about the rest of the First Coast?
There are dozens more schools of excellence in the counties touching Jacksonville, too. County by county, here they are:
Baker County
Westside Elementary
Clay County
Orange Park Elementary
Keystone Heights Elementary
Lakeside Elementary
Lake Asbury Elementary
Robert M. Paterson Elementary
Fleming Island Elementary
Thunderbolt Elementary
Shadowlawn Elementary
Green Cove Springs Junior High
Lakeside Junior High
Fleming Island High
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Nassau County
Emma Love Hardee Elementary
Bryceville Elementary
Hilliard Elementary
Wildlight Elementary
Callahan Intermediate
Callahan Middle
Fernandina Beach High
St. Johns County
Elementaries (11)
R.B. Hunt Elementary
Julington Creek Elementary
W. Douglas Hartley Elementary
Ponte Vedra Palm Valley-Rawlings Elementary
Cunningham Creek Elementary
Ocean Palms Elementary
Durbin Creek Elementary
Timberlin Creek Elementary
Wards Creek Elementary
Hickory Creek Elementary
Palencia Elementary
Middle Schools (4)
Alice B. Landrum Middle
Switzerland Point Middle
Pacetti Bay Middle
Fruit Cove Middle
Combination (6)
Patriot Oaks Academy (PK-8)
Liberty Pines Academy (PK-8)
Valley Ridge Academy (PK-8)
Freedom Crossing Academy (PK-8)
Palm Valley Academy (PK-8)
St. Johns Virtual Franchise (K-12)
High Schools (4)
Nease High
Bartram Trail High
Ponte Vedra High
Creekside High
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Looking for 'schools of excellence' around Jacksonville? Here's a list