21 Duval County Schools receive failing grades in Department of Education report

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Education has released its preliminary school grades from the 2014-15 school year.

Although there is some improvement, there are still a number of failing schools in Duval County.

There were 21 schools in the county that received an "F" grade, with 19 being public and two being charter schools.

The schools on the list include:

1. Brentwood Elementary School
2. Annie R. Morgan Elementary School
3. Arlington Elementary School
4. John Love Elementary School
5. Eugene Butler Middle School
6. Long Branch Elementary School
7. Sadie T. Tillis Elementary School
8. Somerset Eagle High School
9. West Jacksonville Elementary School
10. Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School
11. Richard L. Brown Elementary School
12. Smart Pope Livingston Elementary
13. George Washington Carver Elementary
14. Rufus E. Payne Elementary School
15. J.E.B. Stuart Middle School
16. Oak Hill Elementary School
17. Southside Middle School
18. Hyde Grove Elementary School
19. Jefferson Davis Middle School
20. Highlands Middle School
21. Valor Academy Of Leadership-High School

Duval County Schools Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitt said the 19 failing public schools is an improvement from last year, when there were 29 failing schools.

St. Johns and Clay counties are an "A" school district, and the Duval County Public Schools improved from "C" to a "B." It is the first "B" grade for the district in five years.

Vitti said he plans to consolidate the failing schools.

“One thing that is in high demand is gifted and talented programs,” Vitti said. “We believe that gifted and talented schools, especially in the urban core, can one help identify more children that are gifted and talented and are growing up in poverty areas, but also possibly recruit suburban parents that send their children to private schools to send their children to those schools.”

Cox Media Group