Can anyone tell me what makes the St. John's county schools so good?

[spinergirl]

I know someone that lives in Heritage Park and loves it. We are also going to look at Palencia.

Ps - thank you for all the comments! I cannot wait to sell my house and get my kids into this lifestyle - winter is right around the corner and I dread it!

[roadtrip75]

Originally Posted by spinergirl

Can anyone tell me what makes the St. John's county schools so good, and why they are one of the highest rated in the state?

The schools in St. Johns County aren't all that much better than the schools elsewhere in the Jacksonville area. The main determinant of school ratings is simply the intelligence of the students. You might notice that nobody in this thread has mentioned this, nor will you see it mentioned in education debates. Next most important is parental involvement. Facilities and teacher pay make a tiny difference compared to those other two factors. In many school districts, private schools pay teachers less than public schools. They can get away with that because the teaching experience there is more pleasant; the students are more civilized and the bureaucracy is not as stifling. Beyond academic achievement, there is an unstated and underrated appeal of schools districts like St Johns: socializing with one's peers is just more fulfilling and enriching than socializing in a diverse environment. The bonds you form are deeper and more meaningful.

[Florida2014]

Uh oh, roadtrip........I fear for your life. Here come the angry St Johns Co parents rebuttals!

[SaintCabbage]

Originally Posted by Florida2014

Uh oh, roadtrip........I fear for your life. Here come the angry St Johns Co parents rebuttals!

Higher income areas tend to have higher education levels which may roughly equate to more intelligent children (genetics, upbringing?) and parents who value education.

Maybe?

You might notice that no one brought up his correlation to better schools to children's intelligence level because it's not "simply" based on that nor does it make much sense.

[keithshoe]

All good responses. Seems the better teachers also want to work at the better schools too. It kind of keeps the schools rated "A" because of students being good kids and teachers being good teachers. Lots of activities and most kids are involved in some type of programs and sports. Sports are big in St. Johns county for both boys and girls.

The relocation buyers I work with are all wanting best for their kids and this is area they choose to live. I have been living in St. Johns for over 15 years and great place to raise a family.

[Ruger20]

I think the best comparison you can do is list what aspects of the education system are important to you, find others with similar values, and solicit their opinion on whether those values are being fulfilled in the district you are looking in.

For some, test scores may be what defines a "A school" whereas others may value parent / teacher communication and special education programs - or sports programs and extra-curricular activities.

Generalizations about district, state, region, etc. aren't really that useful in my experience.

[bohochic77]

I am looking into relocating from upstate NY but I am having trouble finding current information on High Schools with orchestra. I was originally interested in the St. Johns area but it seems that none of the high schools have an orchestra. I was told by district office in St. Augustine that they had moved the music and performing arts program to that high school but when the director resigned they discontinued the program because there was not enough demand in the community...?? This confounds me since there is such a strong correlation between music and academic achievement---esp. in math and science.

Does anyone know how to find out which Florida High schools currently have an orchestra. I know that they would belong to the Florida Orchestra Association but I would need a list of members. Thanks!

[JessicaJax]

To put it somewhat crassly, the schools in northern SJ County are good because they pull from an area with a higher socioeconomic population. It's a sad fact of American public schools that schools with wealthier parents tend to be better schools. There are probably many reasons for this (greater parental involvement is certainly a huge factor).

Ponte Vedra Beach was historically a very wealthy area, so the schools were good. Then people started moving here because of the good schools. Then the county/developers built new areas (210, Nocatee) for all those people who wanted good schools.

So the result is that a lot of northern Saint Johns County is now filled with people who moved here for the schools. Which means they are parents who care about education and who will help their kids succeed.

I don't think there is anything inherently better about SJC schools compared to Duval County schools. We've just been lucky enough to have a lot of parents who care about education move here.