Top Rated 15 Schools in Jacksonville, FL - A Guide for Parents and Students

Maribelle Faucett I will add more details as time goes on, but for now, I am a bit disappointed with some of the inefficiency of the Military & Veterans Service Center. I received incorrect information 2/27 & now have to wait an additional 1-2 weeks, which bumps right into the term to have funding approved. The funding is not a deal breaker for me, but inefficiency is one of my absolute biggest pet peeves & a red flag to me. As a working professional, this is nothing new to me (I am an NP with a masters, and an RN with an ADN & BSN), Im hoping this is not a reflection of the quality of education I will receive here.

Jay Pay Good luck with admissions, billing, all of it. Three people are pathetic at their jobs. Oh and thanks fscj for wasting my time and dropping two classes (the day they start) with zero notice. Classy. I’m really considering just dropping everything this semester and finding a real college.

James K Its a nice campus, but Im not a fan of being downtown. I dont think many people are fans of driving downtown. When you arrive, you can see they offer ALOT of different programs to excel in your life. The best suggestion is, no matter where college is, just do it. Whether its 3 credits for 1 semester or 12, youre taking a step into a better future. This is what FSCJ is giving you an opportunity for.

Tanzania Bruning This school is failing its students!!! The teachers barely respond to emails. I would never send about one of my children to this school, lack of communication and empathy for there students is crazy to me. The school board has to do better! As a parent I feel like the teachers aren’t being held accountable for there teachings.

shrimpangel Giving a 1 just to spite this damn school. Not complaining about the school entirely, just the teachers and the Extended Day program. Extended Day isnt as good as it may seem. The teachers are pretty strict and often punish the entire class for something one student did. I also think they have favorites. Shoutout to Mr. Johnson, though. He was chill for my 7th grade Extended Day class. One teacher that has definitely ruined my 8th grade experience was Ms. Copeland. Please do NOT let your child go to her class. She is strict about how her class goes. Its impossible to ask her questions, turn in late work, and overall communicate with her. The number of students Ive met that absolutely hate her makes me wonder why she hasnt been fired or moved to another school. The arts areas can differ. Im an Orchestra student and my time overall with my teachers and friends have been wonderful! Mrs. Maynard and Mrs. Sakara are amazing teachers who love their job and their students. I will be missing them when I go to high school! Other arts teachers though may not be well suited for their job. My friend is in Visual Arts, and throughout the whole year he has been complaining to me about how Mr. Mote treats his class. One day during lunch, a fire alarm went off. Instead of getting up and rushing to get his students, Mr. Mote left without them. In my opinion, I think this was highly unprofessional. You dont ditch children when an active fire is in the building. You go to get them out. Be a damn man, Mr. Mote. Thats all I have to say for Lavilla. Will I miss this school? Partially? Am I glad that Im leaving? Definitely.

Jatonya Phillips The talent is overflowing at this school the performances are definitely worth the price of admission. This is a top notch school in the area. Even though it is a public school there are expenses involved so please be prepared for the financial commitment so that your child can get the full experience. The BEST middle school in town!!

Sarah Price My son and I have had a great experience with River City Science Academy. The community is supportive and engaged. The teachers are attentive and responsive. My son has the support he needs to succeed in class and extracurricular activities. RCSA welcomes families to participate in their students education.

huh hm wont let students goto the bathroom for example my friend needed to go the bathroom at 8:30am but 10:24 all 3 teachers rejected them to go the bathroom only one had a reason. “ class ends in 15 mins to late” she asked halfway through class but had to wait for another student. i dont think its fair that a child needs to use the bathroom should be denied so much. what i said has been one day out of the many days quit neglecting children to use the bathroom and especially if another student takes to long dont make others suffer because of other students. bottom line 8am-2:41pm only allowed bathroom 3 times? 6 hours and 41 mins and bathroom 3 times a day? that ain’t enough to be truthful but it dont matter cause yall dont let them go to the bathroom! you can cause some to have a bladder infection or a weak bladder for the rest of there life cause of it. be so for real

Jackson Leverenz I currently attend RCSAMH in the 8th grade. The entire time i’ve been here I have been bullied about my condition of my bowels. The school says bullying is intolerable yet doesn’t do anything about it. Other than that it is a good school, though.

Dawn R Amazing school with incredible curriculum. The school has experienced some growing pain since it opened but they do not hesitate to make a change if something isn’t working. I give them Grace for opening up during Covid and the courage to make changes when needed. No school is prefect and no parent is perfect! We are all during our best for the future adults of this country. The new leadership team has added fun activities and they’re taking the school in the right direction. The teachers motivate scholars to learn and give them the courage to ask questions. I would highly recommend this school.

Thirsty Coils Would give them a zero if possible. Went to the school to attend a meeting for my incoming student and get disregarded by the clerical staff at the desk. I show up 5 minutes early for the meeting. I check in with the front desk and verifying Im here for the meeting like Im supposed to and almost after 15 mins of waiting in the lobby, Im asked "do you have a meeting?". I do not understand how after I physically check in with the desk person and present PHOTO ID and they still have this issue of not knowing whats going on. Also, after waiting, I never did get to attend the meeting that was requested of me by the school also. So... not only is the front desk clerical side unorganized, but the actual facility staff team disregards also planned meetings arranged by phone and/or email. Spoke with the head of the school and got an email about how now there was no "meeting". Thanks Jacksonville Classical Academy for wasting someone elses time and patience. Parents and tax payers who are involved in this school deserves better.

Adrian Pagàn I was excited to send my daughter here because i love everything about the Classical Education Program. We went on the tour and everything seemed promising. We went to open house and it seemed nice as well. 2 weeks into school and i am getting told because my child cannot sit still in her chair that she needs to go back to VPK instead of staying in Kindergarten and working with her on getting her focused. I have communicated thoroughly during the tour, open house and class dojo communication about her possibly having ADHD due to my oldest having ADD. I also have ADHD. That she just may need a little more time adjusting or possible sitting closer to the teacher to keep her on task. We have been working with her at home and even suggested us sitting in her class for a day to help and see what’s going on. The day after the conference my husband picked her up she started immediately crying when seeing him. I have not sent her back since and finding a new school for her. I will not completely give them a one start because her teacher has been great. All staff seem nice and have not had bad experiences with any of them. But i will not tolerate holding back my child after being in school for 3 weeks as a Kindergarten and us not wanting to hold her back. I think all teachers in elementary school should be specialized in special education to see the signs and understand how to deal with students that are struggling.

LpsCandyx I am a former student, IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN FAMILY, DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE! I had a teacher in 11th grade ask the whole class "WHO THINKS CHRISTIANITY IS BS RAISE YOUR HAND!" LIKE WHAT???? And also, Ive seen kids turn in art projects naked or in a bra and underwear and get a grade for it!!!! Ive had teachers stress me out to do an IMPOSSIBLE ASSIGNMENT absolutely impossible, they stressed me so bad, I stayed home just to avoid going to that class and they stressed me out to the point of throwing up every day, multiple times for weeks!!! I made A grades on 3 of the report cards but purposely failed the last quarter because I was not going to let them abuse my talent anymore, yes this was an arts area, not even an academic class. Theres so much more wrong but going into it might start something.

Eden This is a good school to go to for academics and focusing in on an arts area. If you ever have a problem with a student/teacher there, they will only take care of it if you take it to someone above them. I was followed around school by a boy and he would go around telling people about his fantasies of me. Not only did I report him, multiple other students did as well. They put him in to “classes” but when I brought up he was still a problem the administrators expected me (the girl he inappropriately harassed) to teach him. I have friends with similar stories in that we reported and nothing happened. They care more about securing funding and the outside looks of the school instead of actually changing the culture inside of it. There are so many arrests and teachers getting fired because these teachers felt safe doing what they did. If Douglas Anderson wants to improve their image, they have to make actual change that can be felt by those who have been harmed. Be wary, listen to children.

LunarPlaysALot OfThings Former student- Has a big problem with homophobia, racism, and bullying. School covers up a lot of issues and teachers actively engage in bullying students, and refuse to acknowledge medical issues of each individual student. The new staff was hired to make it better, however they keep making it worse. Many teachers refuse to teach and rely on naturally gifted students to up the school average. Overall if you’re considering attending, it’d probably be best just to not and attend your zoned schools. The skills it teaches are valuable in your respective arts areas, but the environment, teachers, and academics are mediocre at best.

Ivan Ramos This is definitely the best school that my son has ever attended. The support of the teachers and the staff is so incredible. Your family will find all the right resources and all the right reasons for choosing the FLCCA family. A special thanks to Ms.Green, Ms. Burton, Ms.Mullis and Ms. Rangel. From the Ramos Family

Loyd Horton First off if I could leave a half star I would!!! Next I call the school to get my daughters education information grades I IEP number and they refused to give me my childs information.. yes they did see I was on the child birth certificate.then I proceeded to tell them is is against the law to withhold a childs information from the father or mother.. and said that is correct and still refuse to give me information I told my lawyer will be in contact and she hung up the phone.. sounds a little fishy to me.. yes that is a federal law

Seelena Singh The elementary school teachers are AWFUL. They continuously fail to deliver on expectations with the curriculum. Classes are frequently cancelled at the last minute and there is almost NO INTERACTION with the children when they do make it to the class. We have had this experience with multiple teachers. The classes are huge and their technology is always failing or glitching. Nothing that they pitch at orientation is valid. My students education is seriously suffering. Do not enroll your child here.

Paola Bezek DAOF Homeschooling has been an amazing experience for us! The flexibility, engaging science materials, and above all, the love and support from the teachers have made such a difference. The teachers are truly exceptional—they guide and encourage my child every step of the way. My daughter has learned so much; I’ll never regret moving her from traditional school to homeschool. She gets all her social interaction through gymnastics, tennis, and cheerleading, so she’s thriving both academically and socially!"

TAMEKA DANIELS Digital Academy of Florida has been a fantastic experience for our family! The teachers are supportive, the curriculum is well-structured, and the flexibility of online learning allows my little brother to thrive at his own pace. Communication is always clear and timely, and we feel truly supported every step of the way. Highly recommend for any family looking for a quality virtual school option! He started there in 9th grade during the pandemic and he is now graduating May 2025 in the top 25 percent.

Kadri Kittredge Even though my son just started I have nothing but positive experience so far. The comfort of live chat helped a lot especially during weekends. I had some hiccups with the documents but everyone was very responsive and helpful. I absolutely love how teachers reached out and welcomed us. And my son’s homeroom teacher Samantha Pace was so helpful and her communication has been amazing. Hopefully our experience will stay as good as is it right now :)

liz shumate This school has changed so much this year. I knocked my review down due to all the issues this year. One kids being mean to my youngest constantly, talking to my children about stuff they should talk to the parents about, not knocking the child down and making them feel horrible because they cant control something that happened. There is a lot that has changed this year. My children loved this school until this year.

Randii Stumbo I don’t even know where to start with this and I’ve been waiting and really thinking about what I’m about to say. My son is 6 years old he started here when he was 5 in kindergarten, now when we first started it wasn’t the greatest I took him out because I was teaching him because it was homeschool at this time and I couldn’t get the strongest answer as to why except they wanted to keep them around. Now from here I let him go the next year because they promised me that he would get the help he needed as he is autistic and definitely needs extra help. I bought the dream they were selling , they had something against me I’m not sure what it was but it started there. Then they got a new teacher she was a toy we blonde girl and the first week she was there my son came home upset because his nails were painted for Christmas and she told him to put his hands in his pockets and sit on his hands and not show his friends and really upset my son. He then came home saying she would be frustrated with him when he would try to talk , she would “huff” at him when he would try and talk and I brought this to there attention while they handled some of it but told me they wouldn’t fire her they wanted to give her another chance and then another parent came to me and told me she told our kids to stop crying like babies and another parent told me the same thing and I asked my son he confirmed they did nothing about it and then proceeded to tell me she was from a third world country with teaching like those kids don’t need compassion? So from then on my son didn’t want to go to school would have break downs , wouldn’t sleep at night and so just so he wouldn’t have to go . Then they only called me to bring him back because of the money They started the conversation with well if he doesn’t come back you still have to pay which I couldn’t get them to answer the phone for anything else, but they made sure they answered the phone for that phone call. I ended up taking him back out. I talked to several of the parents and they were going to do the same when the time was right for them at the end of all of this she called me. I’m not gonna name names but she gave me a call and told me that because my son went to school for three days out of the month I was going to have to pay them for January February and March which was over $3000. I couldn’t get them to answer the phone the whole time he was in school barely but yet when it came to the money, they called me. It is very much about the money with these people and they very much do not know what they’re doing, and I am poor. Any of you to tell me that I’m lying because I have proof of all of it and other parents to back me up And I would give this zero stars if I could you should be ashamed of what you’re doing to children that need extra help. One of your kids is about to start middle school and doesn’t even have an elementary school education. He can barely read, but yet you’re passing him. Stop telling parents that you can do what they can’t for their children when you can’t do it either.

Holli Dearman Fathers Harbor has been a life raft for my children. The staff treats my children as if they are their own. I feel safe with them there and I know that they are shown love, compassion, and patience. I would highly recommend any student to attend. They will accommodate your childs way of learning to help them thrive!

Sue Rivera This is a great school with staff and faculty that really care. Dean Keagy and Mr. Simmons truly care for the children’s education and when they say they’re going to do something, they make it happen. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for my daughter due to her condition but they tried everything possible to accommodate her. I would recommend this school to anyone looking for a good Christian based school that offers a good education and morals.

Tara Stockling CES Academy is an awesome school academically. CES Academy has a great staff that is more than that they’re family The standards set are prestigious and the time and attention given to the students are phenomenal. Thank you CES Academy for EVERYTHING that you provide. My son continues to strive and is happy about returning every morning

Nicole McConnell CES Academy has been a tremendous blessing for my son and the entire family. This is his first year attending the school and there are no word that I can think of to explain just how much of a change I have seen in his overall outlook on school itself. His previous school was horrible now that I have another school to compare everything to. Not only is he more outgoing and actually likes attending school but he was bumped up a grade (from elementary to middle school) almost immediately upon starting school this year. His previous school for some reason held him back several times and of course I’m sure coming into a new school being the oldest kid in the class had to have been tough on him. So when we got word that he needed to be bumped up a grade, thankful doesn’t put a dent on how I felt and I can imagine how he felt as well to know he would be around kids more close to his age etc… Mr. Keagy is an awesome principle. He is very involved with the students and parents and has a caring attitude in general. Every teacher that I have ever had contact with has been super nice and ALL share a drive to help students succeed and excel at what they are doing. Communication is A+ as well. There’s not one negative thing to say about the school or any of the staff there. I have a little one that will be attending kindergarten next year and I sure hope I will be able to get him at CES next year. I give the school an A++.

Jacob Hill If you want to raise your children in a Godly place then send them here. Family atmosphere, great students and staff and a founder that is on fire for Christ.

danil kushnir What I really like about this school is that they have created a community where people with similar values can raise their children in a Godly fashion. The beauty of that is that its not just an individual persons pursuit but a whole community. This is amazing because the things you teach your children are reinforced at school, and its also something thats often carried out by their peers. Plus, the teachers and staff really get to know your students and care about their success as individuals and their personal growth, not just their academic success.

N Moody Awesome school. Love the teachers. The children are so well behaved. Great manners. The best. Love the way its set up. Highly recommend.

Jaylin Armstrong Pretty chill

mahala bennett If you are looking at the building its self then ir wouldnt even get a quarter of one star LOL honestly its a shame that they would actually put our students and teachers in a building like this. However to be be honest with you my child loved this place . the teachers and staff actually care about the future of their students. They have always spoken to me with respect and understanding. My child left here an honor roll srudent.she actually cried on her last day and didnt want to leave.god bless these teachers and staff.Its too bad other schools arent like them.

Jonathan Pearsall Never went EH

Leyanis Wonderful school, very pleasant and attentive all the staff in general, a wonderful director and a security team for the students who do an incredible job and very kind to the parents, I am delighted to have my 2 children in this incredible school

Gloria Casallas Excelente ambiente y muy amables todos