More schools ?'s. (Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Twin Lakes: rent, house, magnet schools)

[cyn2jax]

Hello all! I am relocating to the area in June w/my two kids, one middle school other high school (rising 10th grader). I am concerned mainly about schools.

Can you register before your actual move? I know that in my county in NC you can't but things aren't always the same everywhere. Also, if anyone is familiar with Episcopal High School could you tell me how difficult it is to get into?

Lastly, are the non magnet HS's in Duval really that bad?

[Ryde41]

I don't think you can register for public school until you can prove where you live. It requires two forms of proof, something with your address and your electric bill. They are strict about it because so many people are desperate to get out of their own district. Episcopal is hard to get into but it depends what grade you're applying to. They require the ISEE test for admittance and have a high retention of return students. Bolles would be easier to get into because they have a higher turnover rate.

[Ryde41]

Yes, the non-magnet schools can be "that bad" depending on where you are moving to.

[Christa LaFarlette]

I'm not entirely certain but I think that if you have a contract on a house you can enroll at the school. We moved into Duval but bought a house in Clay and with the contract we were able to enroll my special ed child so he could get situated before we moved. Also, check out www.bestschools.com and Florida Information Resource Network to search and find out more info on your schools!
Best regards,
Christa

[riveree]

Originally Posted by cyn2jax

Lastly, are the non magnet HS's in Duval really that bad?

Some of them rate very poorly, we only have a few high schools that rate well. The elementary and middle schools in Duval are not so much the issue as the high schools....that's where the pickings get slim to find a good school (high school level).

I always figure since High School is only a few years, private school is an option for those final years (I suppose this is your thought as well with Episcopal, which is a very good private school).

[emajns]

My daughter goes to Fletcher High and I really like it. We live in Jacksonville Beach. We pay the same amount in rent as we did on the Southside. DD went to Twin Lakes Academy for Middle and did well too.

I thought about putting DD in Stanton or Paxon (these H.S's are magnet, you have to have high test scores to get in, and are rated top 10 in the NATION). I decided against it due to their location. You do not want your kids anwywhere near the north side!!!

Good luck

[seteiwane]

Originally Posted by emajns

I thought about putting DD in Stanton or Paxon (these H.S's are magnet, you have to have high test scores to get in, and are rated top 10 in the NATION). I decided against it due to their location. You do not want your kids anwywhere near the north side!!!

First of all, SCP and Paxon and nowhere near Northside, they're downtown. It's all political. It's located centrally so no one can complain about racial discrimination based on location.

But anyway, these two schools are the best in the state. Granted, their campuses are not the most attractive in the city, but it pays off in the end. If a college admissions officer looks at two identical profiles, and one goes to Stanton, it doesn't matter where the other person went to school. Even if they went to Bolles or Episcopal, there is no way they're beating out an identical Stanton student. Why? Because we're the best the South has to offer!

Two words: International Baccalaureate (IB). Translation: the most rigorous academic curriculum in the world, matched by no other school (public or private) anywhere on the globe. Result: better than any other school you will find in Jacksonville.

[joninclay]

If public schools are an option, I can speak from experience about Clay County schools. Excellent!

[emajns]

OOPS, meant to say downtown. Thanks for the correction!

[quote=seteiwane;2881027]First of all, SCP and Paxon and nowhere near Northside, they're downtown.