JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Local parents have a new tool to stay involved in their kids education, and it's all thanks to one web site.
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund launched a new digital initiative to put data about public schools at the fingertips of parents, advocates and community members.
School Facts Jax presents information about public school performance through interactive charts and visualizations.
Donna Holt sent numerous children and grandchildren through the Duval County School system. She says it's like pulling teeth to get them to talk about what they learned at the end of the day.
"Well, I like to hear the good news, the information about the grades and the schools and how they're doing," said Holt.
School Facts Jax was formally launched in an event Friday at the Jacksonville Public Library Regency Square Branch.
"It's an online web site that allows parents and community members to see academic performance information about all the schools in Duval County," said Trey Csar, president of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund.
School Facts Jax contains district-wide academic information, such as graduation rates for Duval County and every county in the state. Users can also look up any individual school in Duval County for a complete report with up to six specific progress indicators that go well beyond just school grades.
"It's a way for everybody to be very aware with where we stand," said Csar. "We have some schools that are doing a great job and some schools that are really struggling and this levels the playing field and gives that information to everybody so that the community can really play a part in making our schools better."
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund plans to expand the web site in the coming years.
