Ed White High School Principal Jason Bloom spent much of the summer meeting with parents, many of whom are interested in making sure their children get a military education.
Marquite Walker was one of those parents.
“They sound very professional, very ready,” said Walker.
But Ed White isn't a military high school or even a boot camp.
It's a Duval County public school that's shifting its focus in a major way.
“This is about strengthening a community all the way through, and this is the first step of doing that,” said Bloom.
Members of Ed White's incoming freshman class will be the first students to transition the school into its new Military Academy of Leadership. Bloom said it’s a continuation of a similar program that started at Joseph Stillwell Middle School.
“What I saw this year is that the school grade improved across all of the indicators for Stillwell,” said Bloom.
Walker, who lives near Oceanway, said the military focus can help teach her son valuable lessons.
"Respect, dignity, and pride. That's the most important thing, because respect will take you a long way no matter what people think about you," said Walker.
Bloom, who dedicated eight years of his life to the Navy, is confident the new program will bring much-needed improvement, from behavior to academics and even parental involvement.
“It’s capturing your interests and catering to that niche interest and developing and growing that interest, and I think that's what school choice does,” said Bloom.
So far, Bloom said about 200 students have already opted in to the new program, but he anticipates up to 300 will enroll before the school year starts.
Students who enroll in the new program will also have the chance to earn college credit at Embrey-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.