357 SMITH Street
Jacksonville, FL 32204

It's really a heartbreak to send your kid to this place -- this is what we experienced in the one year we attended: numerous fights; bathrooms often closed; movement in the building so restricted during lunch that some kids couldn't really always get lunch; security guards made kids shake out their binders onto the floor in the hallway; an English teacher showed a highly inaccurate movie inspired by Beowulf instead of having kids read it (and the teacher oblivious that the film is way off); another teacher told kids that hurricanes in the Americas are created by the souls of enslaved people; my son would send me cell phone videos during class of multiple students just sleeping on their desks while the teacher was doing nothing. This place extinguished my son's interest in school. The name is being changed (which is great), but I hope the rest of the place can be improved for the general students. At the open house, all the principal talked about were the special tracks like early high school and the engineering program, which might not be so bad -- but what about the majority of the kids? We discovered that few of the more appealing course offerings were actually available.

Be cuz it is it’s at that school and kids coming home heart

This is arguably the best elementary school in Jacksonville. It is a gifted and talented magnet school that feeds ultimately into Paxon or Stanton. A student need not be gifted to get into the school, but there is a strong emphasis on academics, math and science. Homework is every night and students have to be willing to work hard. The teachers are hand picked by the principal and I would match them with any school. The principal is strict and there is not a discipline problem at this school.

I don't even know where to start!! The staff is so unprofessional and uncaring to the students. They put on a show for the parents but treat the kids horrible!!! They talk and gossip about the kids like they are the ones in elementary school!!! it makes no sense for adults to act this way!!! The bus situation is a whole other story!!! They wait until hours have past to inform the parents that there isn't a bus available for the children to get home!!! It was 6pm on day when my child got home!! I couldn't get anyone on the phone to tell me anything so I went to the school to find that the Principal was actually there and they just was not answering the phone and for her to tell me "she does not know where the kids are, at 6pm!, and seemed like she wasn't even concerned!!! I would not recommend anyone sending their child to this school!!!!!! Please and Thank!!!!!