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11 percent of Florida's lowest performing elementary schools are in Duval County

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Story published 7/15/19:

Of Florida’s lowest performing elementary schools are in Duval County, 11 percent according to a new list from the Florida Department of Education.

A totaly of 33 Duval County elementary schools made the department’s Lowest 300 Performing Elementary Schools list.

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That’s based on a three-year average of the language arts achievement and learning gains points each school earns.

Action News Jax asked DCPS Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene what the district is doing to improve struggling elementary schools.

“We’ve started working with all of our elementary schools, putting in those support systems that are needed for them to be more successful,” Greene said.

Action News Jax reported in May that nearly half of third graders in Duval County are performing below their grade level in language arts.

Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran criticized Dr. Greene’s willingness to close some failing schools, instead urging the district to consider letting a charter operator take over.

“They’d rather close it, to the chagrin of the community, than turn it over to a charter school that has a proven record of amazing success with low-income demographics,” Corcoran said.

DCPS closed failing Lake Forest Elementary and plans to close Northwestern Middle at the end of next school year.

“Those schools didn’t get there overnight. And the solution for some of our schools are not going to be overnight. But we truly believe after this school year, that we will have made a huge reduction in the number of low-performing elementary schools,” said Greene.

Just because a school made the state’s “Lowest 300” list, that doesn’t mean things are not improving there.

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Saint Clair Evans Academy in Moncrief, for example, is on the state’s list of lowest performing elementary schools, but the school improved its overall letter grade from a “D” last year to a “B” this year.

Putnam County had four elementary schools that made the state’s Lowest 300 list.

Clay, Bradford and Putnam counties each had one school on that list.

33 Duval County schools made the list:
  • Brentwood Elementary School
  • Annie R. Morgan Elementary School
  • North Shore Elementary School
  • Spring Park Elementary School
  • Lake Forest Elementary School
  • Hyde Park Elementary School
  • Biltmore Elementary School
  • Ramona Boulevard Elementary School
  • San Jose Elementary School
  • Woodland Acres Elementary School
  • Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School
  • Windy Hill Elementary School
  • Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary School
  • Cedar Hills Elementary School
  • Timucuan Elementary School
  • Highlands Elementary School
  • Long Branch Elementary School
  • Sadie T. Tillis Elementary School
  • Saint Clair Evans Academy
  • Susie E. Tolbert Elementary School
  • George Washington Carver Elementary School
  • Rufus E. Payne Elementary School
  • Carter G. Woodson Elementary School
  • Reynold Lanes Elementary School
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School
  • Normandy Village Elementary School
  • Jacksonville Heights Elementary School
  • Stonewall Jackson Elementary School
  • Arlington Heights Elementary School
  • Gregory Drive Elementary School
  • Pine Estates Elementary School
  • Andrew A. Robinson Elementary School
  • Somerset Preparatory Academy
Four Putnam County schools also made the list: 
  • Mellon Elementary School
  • Kelley Smith Elementary School
  • Middleton-Burney Elementary School
  • William D. Moseley Elementary School

Charles E. Bennett Elementary School of Clay County, Niblack Elementary School of Columbia County and Southside Elementary School of Bradford County also appeared on the list.