--- title: "Military Families & Jacksonville Schools" url: https://stacklist.com/card/2d278d10-ccd5-4fa6-8d51-308581dd488d source_url: "https://www.navymwrjacksonville.com/school-liaison" stack: https://stacklist.com/c/education/stack/86f8571d-33a0-48bf-a0bd-130bde78dcd3 summary: "School Liaison Services at Navy MWR Jacksonville provides comprehensive information about three school districts (Duval County, Clay County, and St. Johns County) serving the Naval Air Station Jacksonville area, including details on public schools, transportation, charter schools, and military-family support programs like Purple Star Schools. The resource helps military families navigate school choice options, dress codes, transportation services, and access to schools designated for supporting military-connected students." tags: "military-families, school-liaison, naval-air-station, education-resources, duval-county, school-districts, purple-star-schools" key_entities: "Naval Air Station Jacksonville (location), Duval County (location), Jacksonville (location), Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) (organization), Clay County District Schools (CCDS) (organization), St Johns County School District (SJCSD) (organization), Navy MWR Jacksonville (organization), Purple Star School of Distinction (concept), Venetia Elementary School (location), Riverside High School (location), Clay County (location), St. Johns County (location)" classification: "reference" content_hash: "sha256:05de344b56e67c8de34218389635493fa3328ff9e32c3dc63ac531ebfaf2b6ab" acp_version: "0.2" token_counts_approximate: 3355 visibility: public agent_accessible: true status: "final" --- # Military Families & Jacksonville Schools All Tabs become a dropdown menu Area Schools Resources School Liaison School Liaison Home Page Jacksonville Area Naval Air Station Jacksonville is located in Duval County, Florida. There are 3 school districts in the NAS Jacksonville vicinity.   Duval County Public Schools  (DCPS) is the 20th largest school district in the nation. DCPS offers 97 elementary schools, 2 K-8 schools, 23 middle schools, 2 6-12 schools, 19 high schools, 1 virtual school, 44 charter schools, 4 exceptional centers and 4 alternative schools.  Clay County District Schools  (CCDS) is bordered by Jacksonville to the north and the St. Johns River on the east. CCDS has 28 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, 1 6-12 school, 7 high schools, 5 charter schools and 1 virtual school.  St Johns County School District  (SJCSD) is nestled between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. SJCSD offers 18 elementary schools, 9 K-8 academies, 7 middle schools, 9 high schools, 1 technical college, 2 alternative schools, 1 virtual school and 3 charter schools.  Please contact the School Liaison to inquire and get clarification on the school districts process/policy regarding school choice.    Public Schools Serving the Military Housing and Community Neighborhoods in Jacksonville  Venetia Elementary School  (K-5): 4300 Timuquana Rd.; 904-381-3990  Westside Middle School  (6-8): 4815 Wesconnett Blvd; 904-573-1000  Riverside High School  (9-12): 1200 McDuff Ave S.; 904-381-3930  Families selecting non-military housing can learn of their determined zoned schools by clicking on their county of residence below:  Duval County ,  Clay County  or  St. Johns County Learn more about how local district's support military families for Duval County click  here , for Clay County click  here , and for St. Johns County click  here .     Purple Star Schools The purpose of the  Purple Star School of Distinction Designation  is to recognize schools that support the unique needs of military families, help military-connected students navigate critical challenges and provide resources for military-connected students when transitioning to a new school environment.    Dress Code Many schools in Duval County Public Schools have a mandatory uniform policy. Parents are encouraged to visit their school's website to learn more about their dress code policy.    Transportation Students who live more than 2 miles from their Duval County neighborhood school or who live in a hazard area are provided bus service. Learn more  here . There are different requirements and guidelines for different types of riders. This includes kindergarten students, magnet school students and exceptional education (ESE) students.   Choice (Special Transfer Option) School Transportation: District transportation is NOT provided to a special transfer option student; transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Please visit the  School Choice  website for further details.  Duval County Public Schools provides transportation to/from the Youth Activities Center for several schools. Further details provided below in the Before-/After-School Care section.  For information on Clay County Schools Transportation click  here  and for St.  Johns Schools Transportation click  here .    Charter Schools  Duval County has 44 charter schools serving grades Kindergarten through 12th grade.  Each charter school has its own governing board that oversees the operation of the charter school. To view the list of charter schools in Duval County, click  here . To view the list of charter schools in Clay County, click  here . To view the list of charter schools in St. Johns County, click  here .    Private Schools  The Florida Department of Education does not oversee private schools, but it does maintain a comprehensive database of private schools. There are over 150 private schools in Duval County, 27 in Clay County.   Private school addresses, phone numbers, school administrators, grade span, programs offered, and enrollment by grade can be found on the  Florida Department of Education's Private School Directory , which lists private schools that meet  General Requirements for Florida Private Schools .    Homeschooling Families who choose to homeschool their child(ren) have three (3) statutory requirements. To learn more details, please click here . For homeschool events hosted by our program, please contact the School Liaison .    Immunizations For more information about school immunization requirements and resources, visit the  Florida Department of Health . Families are encouraged to visit the Immunization Clinic at Naval Hospital Jacksonville to receive a FREE copy of their Florida Immunization Record.      Choosing a School We know the importance of choosing a school that best meets the needs of your military child(ren). Even though School Liaisons are unable to make direct recommendations for schools, we are available to help you acquire information and research the schools within NRSE. We can provide overall information on districts as well as help you determine what schools you might be zoned to once you have a residence. Academic and fiscal information on Florida schools can be found using the following resources:  Florida Schools Report Card   Education Guide: Northeast Florida      Out of Zone Student Transfer  Families interested in attending a school outside of their assigned neighborhood school should reach out to the School Liaison to learn of Florida state policies and procedures.    Military Interstate Compact The Military Interstate Compact (MIC) is an article of laws to help make transition easier for children of military families so that they may be afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals. The MIC  provides support with placement, enrollment, extracurricular activities, senior moves and more! The MIC  only covers students enrolled in U.S. Public Schools and DoDEA Schools. It does not apply to students enrolled in private schools, homeschools or international schools. Additional information can be found at:  www.mic3.net . School Liaison Home Page Organizations Devoted to The Military Family  MilitaryINSTALLATIONS : select the program or service and then choose any installation or enter any zip code. A downloadable directory for all installations will be available on the results page. DoWEA : the Department of War Educational Activity instructional program provides a comprehensive pre-kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum overseas and at select locations in the continental US. The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) : focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military children affected by mobility, family separation and transition. National Military Family Association : the leading non-profit organization focusing on issues important to military families. Fleet & Family Support Programs : information on the many services provided for military families. Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA) : a national organization of school superintendents to serve school districts with a high concentration of military children. Interstate Compact for Military Children : seeks to make transitions easier for the children of military families so that they are afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals.   Special Needs Resources  Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) : a discretionary project of the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), Bureau of Exceptional Education and Students Services (BEESS). Special Ed Connection : the go-to online source for guidance on all your special education challenges — and the only source you need to keep current on education policy and legal developments. DOW EFMP : Exceptional Family Member Program.  National Association of Gifted Children : NAGC is the nation's leading organization focused on the needs of gifted and talented children.  Mensa : Mensa is the world’s largest, oldest and most famous high IQ society. Parent to Parent USA (P2PUSA) : supports families and individuals from birth to 26 impacted by disabilities or special health care needs. PACER : the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights provides individual assistance, workshops, publications and other resources to help families make decisions about education and other services for their child or young adult with disabilities. LD On-line : the world's leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD, serving more than 200,000 parents, teachers, and other professionals each month. Military OneSource: ROC : a one-source access point to the resources, options and consultations available to military families with special needs through Military OneSource.   Additional Resources  Tutor.com : a free program that allows eligible college and grades K-12 students in US military families to connect to a live tutor online at any time for one-to-one help with homework, studying, test prep, proofreading and more. National Parent Teacher Association : an organization dedicated to making a difference in the education, health and safety of America’s children and youth. Guide to Online Schools : from K-12 to college, explore online learning modes, hear from experts and read how Khan Academy and other free resources help students get ahead. Today's Military : provides overview of joining the military- resources for parents and educators.   Homeschooling  Homeschooling Legal Defense Association : bringing together a large number of homeschooling families so that each can have a low-cost method of obtaining quality legal defense. Florida Department of Education School Choice: Home Education : a parent-directed educational option that satisfies the requirement for regular school attendance enshrined in the Florida Statutes since 1985. Homeschooling in Florida : this website has compiled the best resources, support, information and ideas to help you make your decision to homeschool and to successfully home educate your children. Homeschool Central : the information you need to successfully homeschool your child, including state laws, local support groups, articles and free resources.   Post-Secondary Support  College Board : offers students free grade activities, test score specific profiles and information on hundreds of colleges. Student Financial Aid : provides student financial assistance resources. GI Bill : VA website for Post 9/11 GI Bill, transferability and Yellow Ribbon. Fastweb.com : find schools and ways to pay on FastWEB. Federal Financial Aid : the smart student guide to financial aid.   Military Academies and ROTC  A Guide to U.S. Service Academies, Military Colleges : learn more about each academy and their admission's requirements by reading the linked article. Defense.gov : military academy links for West Point , Navy, AF, CG, Merchant Marine. Todaysmilitary.com : ROTC links for Army, Navy and Air Force.   Scholarships for Military-Connected Students  School Liaisons keep a current roster of available military-connected students. Contact the School Liaison to obtain a copy of current scholarships available for students.   Youth Sponsorship  Youth Sponsorship (grades 3-12) provides access to positive peer groups and social activities, helping military children feel connected at their new duty station. For Youth Sponsorship with School Age Care or Youth Programs, participants must be enrolled or a registered user. Click here to request a Youth Sponsor for your child(ren). School Liaison Home Page The School Liaison's (SL) primary function is to serve as a conduit between parents, educators and the command, so military-connected children experience a seamless transition during the transfer between schools. As K-12 education subject matter experts, SLs provide information and resources to support military families as they navigate the challenges of this unique lifestyle – frequent relocations, deployments (planned and unplanned), reintegration, separation, postsecondary planning, special education service coordination and so much more. Additionally, SLs support military parents who are looking for information on homeschooling or other alternative models of education by maintaining professional relationships with installation agencies and community service providers.  The School Liaison Program was established under Child and Youth Education Systems (CYES) and falls under the Child and Youth Programs (CYP) umbrella under the Morale Welfare and Recreation of the US Navy. The SL Program serves all branches and is established throughout the Navy.