Suburban Jacksonville: Julington Creek Plantation

[thelakelander]

Hmm, that would make Northwest Jax one of the safest areas in metro Jacksonville.

[Jaxson]

More thoughts on the use of the word 'plantation'...

http://uvamblogs.com/landscape_of_slavery/?p=9

http://www.thegrio.com/opinion/should-plantation-get-the-n-word-treatment.php

[duvaldude08]

I was actually down near hasting last night and I seen a said that said "Jacksonville" that had an arrowpointing down CR13. And I told my friend that is a shame that this city is so sprawled and spread out. I had no idea Julington creek was that far out.

[Lunican]

From the 2013 DOT Budget:

Reducing highway fatalities continues to be a priority at the Department of Transportation. Even though fatalities on our roadways are at an historic low, highway crashes remain the leading cause of death for Americans age 4 through 34. Approximately 33,000 people died on the Nation’s highways in 2010, and action must be taken to address this serious public health and safety problem. The financial burden of roadway crashes is at least $230 billion per year â€" a sign of the economic magnitude of roadway crashes. Only the Federal government has the authority to establish National safety standards for vehicles, regulate motor carriers and mandate roadway safety features. A coordinated and comprehensive approach is needed to address roadway safety challenges and issues.

[John P]

I know quite a few people that live here.  The number one reason they give for liking it so much:  good schools.

That is a shame. There are many good students that get scholarships at the lower rated schools. I think that a good school to some people is a school where they have to do as little as possible to help thier child. In my experience a child can succeed anywhere as long as their parent or caregiver is engaged in their academic progress. Stereotypes and fear drive this thinking. I would not be surprised if that Julington creek and Nocatee developers of the world pushed those stereotypes and fear further because schools are the number 1 reason most give whe asked why they move there.

[blizz01]

I think that a good school to some people is a school where they have to do as little as possible to help thier child.

I think that it's the opposite, really.  There is SO much parent involvement in these schools that it's often smothering.  Keep in mind that most of the top rated schools (K-6) in St. John's (& Clay) county are in areas with a large population of stay at home moms; they don't play tennis all day. 

[thelakelander]

Are the schools in St. Johns and Clay any better than the schools in Duval County's suburban areas?  After all, they are the exact same demographic pool.

[blizz01]

Well, FCAT results say that they are.

[tufsu1]

Are the schools in St. Johns and Clay any better than the schools in Duval County's suburban areas?  After all, they are the exact same demographic pool.

I'm not sure that's the case....I think the income and educational attainment levels of parents may be higher (especially in northern St. Johns)...can't say enough about the effect of genetics and home environment on student success.

[Tacachale]

FCAT results in demographically similar areas of Duval County are about the same as they are in St. Johns County (and Clay). You can sort the FCAT scores here.
http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/default.asp

A cursory review shows that by this past year's data, schools of all levels in Mandarin, the Beaches, and a lot of the Southside score similarly to schools in St. Johns (or Clay). There are also others throughout the rest of the county (including the urban neighborhood of San Marco) that also score highly.

St. Johns does have more consistency across the board - they have no schools that scored lower than a "B", and all of those "B" schools appear to be in the St. Augustine area rather than Ponte Vedra or the Julington Creek-Fruit Cove area. Presumably St. Johns' success is affected by the fact that a lot of families move St. Johns specifically for the schools - like seeks like, and all that.

Not that the FCAT is a great measure (it takes in no consideration for specializations, honors programs, International Baccalaureate, etc.), but it is a measure.

[thelakelander]

^Thanks.  My kids attend Mandarin Oaks Elementary and I recall that their FCAT grades were no different from those found in Northern St. Johns and Clay County.

Imo, the major difference between these areas as a whole is that Jax is a city and the others are suburbs.  Being that a city typically has a larger cross section of the population at different economic and educational levels, it's going to have a wider cross section in terms of overall performance as well.

[tufsu1]

exactly Lake....the demographics of Julington Creek are very homogenuous

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

^Thanks.  My kids attend Mandarin Oaks Elementary and I recall that their FCAT grades were no different from those found in Northern St. Johns and Clay County.

My son goes to Ribault Middle and he's there because of his FCATs.

[fsquid]

2010 census had the three tracts that make up JCP at 92% white, maybe just a little under that.

[finehoe]

2010 census had the three tracts that make up JCP at 92% white, maybe just a little under that.

I suspect for many, that is all you need to know.  Folks who wouldn't dream of saying "I like it 'cause there are hardly any nigras there" say "Schools!  It's the schools!".