Andrew Jackson High School (Jacksonville)
Andrew Jackson Senior High School | |
---|---|
Address | |
3816 N. Main St. Jacksonville, Florida USA | |
Information | |
Type | Public/magnet school |
Established | 1927 |
Principal | Evan Daniels |
Number of students | 773 |
Campus | Urban |
Color(s) | Red and White |
Mascot | Tigers |
Nickname | Jackson |
Andrew Jackson Senior High School is the oldest fully accredited high school in Duval County, Florida. It is located just north of downtown Jacksonville on Main Street (U.S. Highway 17). It opened in 1927, the same time as Robert E. Lee High School. It was originally an all-white school, but the school became integrated in 1970. It is named for U.S. President Andrew Jackson, an important figure in the history of Florida, after whom the city of Jacksonville is also named.
Jackson has the city's oldest athletic rivalry with Robert E. Lee High School. For many years the Jackson-Lee football game was played in the Gator Bowl Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, and it was a major event for students and alumni of both schools. The girls varsity basketball team were 2007 Gateway Conference Champions, beating out Samuel W. Wolfson High School. They won this award three consecutive years.
Jackson is the only high school in Duval County with an off-campus football stadium. The stadium is located about three-fourths of a mile north of the campus on Main Street, adjacent to North Shore Elementary School. Prior to the construction of this facility the Tigers played their home football games at the Gator Bowl. Jackson's step team, People of Prosperity (an organization composed of the Brothers of Honor and Sisters of Integrity) has participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. parade, along with AFJROTC.
When Duval County Schools were first being established, Jackson was on the verge of losing accreditation due to roof leaks, cracks and window damage. These problems were fixed and the school now hosts magnet programs.
In 2008 Andrew Jackson High School celebrated its 80th anniversary.
Feeder schools
- Northwestern Middle School
- Matthew Gilbert Middle School
- Eugene Butler Middle School
- Kirby Smith Middle School
Swimming pool
The school has an outdoor pool which is used by the athletic teams and physical education classes during the academic year; then it becomes a free public pool operated by the City of Jacksonville Parks & Recreation Department during the summer months.
Academics
Magnet students may go into the criminal justice program, the Air Force ROTC military magnet program, or the medical program. The school also offers the BCE program which is partnered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida. Junior students are hired to work part-time on campus and have the opportunity to continue that career after graduation. The school currently has a F as of 2009 on the Florida School Accountability Grading Scale.[1] As of January 2012 Andrew Jackson High ranked last in the state of Florida for student achievement.[2] In the 1950s, unfortunately, Andrew Jackson High sponsored and promoted racist blackface minstrels performed by Jackson High senior boys. Jackson history teacher Jack Humphrey guided this annual production.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-01-30/story/state-duval-has-lowest-performing-high-school#ixzz24xYpV53X
Improvement
Jackson was one of 16 schools nationwide selected by the College Board for inclusion in the EXCELerator School Improvement Model program beginning in the 2007-2008 school year. The project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Notable alumni
- W. Haydon Burns - mayor of Jacksonville 1949–1965 and Governor of Florida 1965–1967
- Lou Ritter - mayor of Jacksonville 1965–1967
- Jake Godbold - mayor of Jacksonville 1978–1987
- Maxey Dell Moody, Jr. - business magnate
- Tommy Hazouri - mayor of Jacksonville 1987–1991
- Rocco Morabito - Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer.
- Robert Edward Femoyer - Medal of Honor recipient and World War II Army Air Corps navigator
- Wanda Hendrix - 1940s Hollywood actress
- A. C. Lyles - long-time Hollywood producer
- Micah Ross - former member of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL franchise
- James Collins - professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA
- Dennis Yost - lead singer of 1960s pop group Classics IV
- Rita Coolidge - Grammy Award-winning singer
- Judy Canova - comedian
- Connie Haines - big-band singer
- Leon Washington - NFL running back, Seattle Seahawks
- T. Terrell Sessums - Speaker of Florida House of Representatives and Chairman of the Florida Board of Regents.
- Jeron Harvey - Former Wide receiver of the Jacksonville Jaguars and current wide receiver for the Jacksonville Sharks.
- Professor Backwards - comedian with 23 performances on The Ed Sullivan Show.
- Jamon Gordon - Professional European basketball player
- Dr. Jerry Alderman - Rocket scientist, physicist, professor and author 1953-1956
Notes
- ↑ "School Demographic, Assessment, and Accountability Data". Duval County Public Schools. November 19, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
- ↑ http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-01-30/story/state-duval-has-lowest-performing-high-school
References
- Patton, Charlie (March 12, 2003). "Jackson High anniversary a celebration". Jacksonville.com. The Florida Times-Union.
Coordinates: 30°21′44″N 81°39′15″W / 30.362255°N 81.654140°W