Paxon School/advanced Studies High School
3239 Norman E Thagard Bou, Jacksonville, FL, 32254-1796 - Map Map

School Overview:
Definition of Terms
Paxon School/advanced Studies High School
School Level High school
School Type Magnet School
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County Duval County, FL
Students & Faculty
Total Students 1494 students
% Male / % Female 45%  /  55%
Total Classroom Teachers 84 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 9 - 439 students
Grade 10 - 396 students
Grade 11 - 322 students
Grade 12 - 337 students
This School
(FL) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:18 1:19
Students by Ethnicity
This School
(FL) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 13% 2%
% Hispanic 4% 18%
% Black 27% 26%
% White 56% 52%
Additional Student Information
This School
(FL) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 8% 26%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch 4% 6%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a n/a
School Performance:
(FL) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name Duval County School District
This School's Agency
(FL) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 182 24
Number of Students Managed 127,903 students 15,852 students
District Total Revenue $1,008,899,000 $150,286,000
District Expenditure $1,009,085,000 $148,035,000
District Revenue / Student $7,888 $9,481
District Expenditure / Student $7,889 $9,339
District Graduation Rates 71% 90%
School Notes:
  • Paxon School for Advanced Studies (PSAS) is one of three International Baccalaureate senior high schools (the others being Stanton College Preparatory School, and Jean Ribault High School) in Duval County, Florida. According to the College Board's Advanced Placement Report to the Nation, Paxon has one of the strongest math and science Advanced Placement programs in the state of Florida. Because of this outstanding accomplishment, Paxon is one of a select group of Florida schools invited to apply for the Siemens Advanced Placement High School Award. Only about ten to fifteen schools per state have been invited to apply. For the past few years, the valedictorians have been accepted to the United States Naval Academy and different Ivy League schools.
  • History
  • Paxon High School was originally named Paxon Field Junior-Senior High School when it was built in 1954. It included 7th through 12 grades until 1957, when Paxon Junior High was built nearby. In 1996, Paxon became a college preparatory school and an International Baccalaureate school, and took on its present-day name. Today, Paxon considers its chief rival to be Stanton College Preparatory School, another Jacksonville IB school. In 2008, Paxon School for Advanced Studies was ranked number 8 of the 100 best high schools in the nation by Newsweek magazine; 17th in 2007, 28th in 2006, 7th in 2005 and 3rd in 2003.
  • According to the College Board's Advanced Placement Report to the Nation, Paxon High School has one of the strongest math and science Advanced Placement programs in the State of Florida. Because of this outstanding accomplishment, Paxon is one of a select group of Florida schools invited to apply for the Siemens Advanced Placement High School Award. Only about 10-15 schools per state have been invited to apply.
  • The site where the school was built was Paxon Air Field, where Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman was killed in a plane accident in 1926. Coleman was the first African American (male or female) to become an airplane pilot, and the first American of any race or gender to hold an international pilot license. Paxon Field was probably Jacksonville's first airfield, with the exception of the beaches. The Navy used the (grass) airfield for training during World War II, but eventually declared the site excess in January 1947.
  • Magnet Program
  • The Paxon School faculty consists of over 100 teachers whose awards range from district Teacher of the Year to National Board Certification. The campus includes athletic facilities, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a professional grade television production studio, science labs, and a theater. Sports teams include football, golf, soccer, lacrosse, stickball, wrestling, and bowling, many of which have competed at district and regional levels. Social clubs include the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and Youth Leadership for Change. Since becoming an academic magnet, Paxon SAS has seen 3 principals, Dr. James A. Williams (Founder) 1996-2006, Mrs. Carol H. Daniels 2006-2009, and Mr. Royce Turner 2009-present.
  • 2009-2010 Leadership
  • Principal - Royce Turner,Dean - Angela Gates,English Dept Chair - Denise Rambach,History Dept Chair - Leonora St Laurent,Science Dept Chair - William Keels,Math Dept Chair - Elizabeth Allen,Athletic Director - Nan Harrington,Security Chief - Sgt. John Creamer, JSO Ret.
  • International Baccalaureate
  • The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program was initially formed in 1968. Paxon established an IB program in 1995, was approved in 1997, and had our first graduating IB class in 2000. The four-year program consists of two parts: Pre-IB and IB. Pre-IB prepares students for the rigorous two year, pre-university liberal arts course of study.
  • Swimming Pool
  • The school has an outdoor pool which is used by the athletic teams; then it becomes a free public pool operated by the City of Jacksonville Parks & Recreation Department during the summer months.
  • Honors
  • Ranked as the #6 public school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine in 2009
  • Ranked as the #8 public school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine in 2008
  • 2008 Gold Medal winner, ranked as 30th best High School is the US by US News & World Report
  • Ranked as the #29 public school in the United States by U. S. News Magazine in 2007
  • Ranked as the #17 public school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine in 2007
  • Ranked as the #28 public school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine in 2006
  • Ranked as the #7 public school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine in 2005
  • Ranked as the #3 public school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine in 2003
  • P.S. 75 of Duval County Public Schools
  • Newspaper: The Eagle, selected as the #1 high-school paper in Jacksonville by the Florida Times-Union in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
  • Football Stadium: Pajcic Stadium
  • Army JROTC Detachment: Golden Eagle Battalion (Honor Unit with Distinction (From 1993 to 2009) Which was terminated in 2009 due to lack of funds, but then reinstated the same year
  • Freedom Award Winner
  • The graduating class of 2005 was the largest graduating class ever to be seen by the school.
  • Paxon's land area is the largest of any school in Duval County
  • Paxon's CEEB (SAT/ACT) code is 100780
  • Notable alumni
  • Former teacher Mae Boren Axton was instrumental in launching Elvis Presley's singing career by interviewing him on the radio in Jacksonville on July 28 1955. She is probably more well-known, however, for later co-writing Presley's first #1 hit song, "Heartbreak Hotel." 1
  • Dr. Norman E. Thagard - Graduated from Paxon in 1961 and he went on to become an astronaut for NASA. The street upon which Paxon is located now carries his name (Norman E. Thagard Blvd.).
  • The Pajcic Brothers, Gary and Steve established a million dollar endowment at the University of North Florida to pay the full tuition of any graduate of their alma mater, Paxon High School, who was accepted and enrolled at UNF. In 2001, Steve Pajcic donated $250,000 to endow a scholarship for Paxon School students at Princeton University. The football field at Paxon now carries their name
  • Femi Borisade graduated from Paxon in 2005 and later appeared on the MTV Reality series, "Bromance". Femi Bio | Bromance | MTV.com
  • Victoria D Roberts (c/o 2000)
  • External links
  • Multi-Class website
  • Class of '59 web site
  • Class of '64 web site
  • Class of '65 web site
  • Class of '68 web site
  • Paxon Cheerleaders web site
  • Paxon School for Advanced Studies webpage
  • Duval County Public Schools website
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
  • Add/edit information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (32254)
School Zip (32254)
(FL) State Average
Population (Approximate) 14,969 people 15,366,089 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 9% 27%
Population Average Age 32 years old 37 years old
Average Household size 2.8 persons 2.3 persons
Median Household Income $25,807 $38,396
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 5.1 rooms 5.0 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 50 years old 32 years old
View Current Housing Listings View current housing listings in this area
Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (32254)


Zillow Median Value of Housing Unit
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Zillow Median Value of Housing Unit
% Owning / % Renting 64% / 36% 67% / 33%
School Map:
1. Palm Avenue Excep. Student Center - 150 students - 0.3 mi. away - view location
2. Duval Halfway House - 25 students - 1.6 mi. away - view location
3. Duval Start Center - 19 students - 1.6 mi. away - view location
4. Grand Park Career Center - 118 students - 1.6 mi. away - view location
5. Pretrial Detention Facility - 37 students - 1.6 mi. away - view location
View all schools in: Jacksonville, Duval County, Zip 32254 
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects 2006 statistics (most recent year available).

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