IDEA Charter Schools in Jacksonville

Apply Now for the 2025-2026 School Year

Our Impact

IDEA Jacksonville is actively engaging with the local community, recruiting students for the next academic year, and recruiting top-notch principals educators, and operations team members. Cultivating community partnerships that will enable IDEA Jacksonville to most effectively provide a high-quality education to students as they progress along the road to and through college is a top priority for our region.

WELCOME, FUTURE IDEA JACKSONVILLE FAMILIES!

The next step in joining IDEA is completing a paper application or submitting it online via STREAM. Our application opened on September 1, 2024 and IDEA’s lottery date is February 15, 2025. 

You may choose to apply to multiple IDEA Jacksonville schools and submit one application per child. Any family can submit an application at any time.

As a public charter school, enrollment is determined through a random lottery selection process.  If our schools receive more applications than available seats, student names will be placed in a lottery and randomly selected. 

As required by Florida law, students from persistently low-performing (PLP) public schools and opportunity zones will be given enrollment preference, as well as siblings of currently enrolled students.

Lottery priorities are listed below:

  1. Siblings of current IDEA students and children of IDEA employees 
  2. Students who attend or are zoned for a Persistently Low Performing (PLP) school or who reside within an Opportunity Zone. Not sure if you live in an Opportunity Zone, check your status with your home address 
    1. Within 5 miles of the campus 
    2. Within 8 miles of the campus 
    3. Beyond 8 miles of the campus 
  3. Children of Founding Board Members
  4. All other applicants

Ready to apply? Click the button below to get started.

IDEA's Schools in Jacksonville

Four reasons parents love IDEA Applying to IDEA Jacksonville Charter Schools

College-Prep Academic Model

Through structured, challenging coursework, IDEA Public Schools focuses on college preparation for all children.

We Are Open To All Students

We are a tuition-free public school option in your neighborhood. IDEA is one of the nation’s highest-performing public school networks.

Focus On the Whole Child

We understand that success is more than just mastering lessons and passing exams. In addition to teaching core subjects, IDEA’s personalized instructional courses include character development and culture education.

Highly Trained & Experienced Teachers

We partner with families to see every student to and through college. Our teachers help students identify their goals, track their progress, and adjust instruction as needed to ensure each student masters every subject and realizes their goals.  

3

SCHOOLS

Our tuition-free public schools are open to all students. 

2,066

STUDENTS

We serve children in grades Kindergarten – 8 for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

100%

COLLEGE BOUND

Since IDEA’s first graduating class in 2007, 100% of our seniors have been accepted to colleges and universities nationwide.

PERSONALIZED LEARNING

Through small learning groups and daily access to technology, every student learns at the level and speed just right for them. 

Expert Teachers

Our teachers bring subject matter expertise and an unwavering commitment to set each student on a path to success.

FAMILY PARTNERSHIP

Our school is family. Parents, teachers, and administrators work as a team to help each student reach their full potential. 

Apply Now for the 2024-2025 School Year

Work at IDEA

We are a looking for hard-working, talented individuals to help make college a reality for all children in Jacksonville. From the classroom to transportation and everything in between – your work will directly deliver on IDEA’s mission.

Regional Leadership

Simaran Bakshi

Executive Director, Jacksonville

Jamelle Goodwin

Vice President of Schools

Janine Valentin

Managing Director of Operations

Michele Mitchell

Sr. Regional Director of Talent

Michelle Knapp

Director of Compliance

Alec Macaulay

Managing Director of External Affairs

Becky Schickley

Managing Director of Academics

Follow IDEA Jacksonville on Social Media!