John E. Ford Pre K-8, 1137 Cleveland St.: pre-K-8, 631 students in 2024-25, a C in Florida's 2026 school grades.

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, Duval County Public Schools’ school locator map, school hours page and calendar, the district’s May 28, 2026, notice on 2026-27 school changes, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file, and the federal NCES school directory.

John E. Ford Pre K-8 is the Duval County Public Schools magnet school for pre-K to grade 8 at 1137 Cleveland St. The campus is inside Jacksonville city limits.

Who to call
Address 1137 Cleveland St., Jacksonville, FL 32209
Phone 904-630-6540
Grades Pre-K to grade 8
District Duval County Public Schools
State school number 16-1542

Principal

Principal Tina Bennett, according to the school’s staff directory.

Enrollment and teachers

  • Federal count: 631 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 36 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 18 students per teacher.

State report card

Florida grades every public school A to F on the share of possible points it earns on the measures in the state’s 2026 school grades file: test scores, learning gains and, for middle and high schools, acceleration and graduation. The file sets an A for combination schools at 65% of points or more.

School year Grade
2025-26 C (57% of possible points)
2024-25 A
2023-24 B

From the state’s 2026 school grades file, the share of students scoring on grade level on the state tests in 2025-26:

  • Third-grade English language arts: 49%
  • English language arts: 58%
  • Math: 51%
  • Science: 43%
  • Social studies: 87%
  • Middle school acceleration (a state grading measure): 80%

The same file lists 77.8% of the school’s students as economically disadvantaged and the school as a Title I school, which receives federal aid for schools serving low-income families.

The full report card is on the state’s Florida school report cards site. It is an interactive dashboard; the figures above come from the downloadable file.

Admission

John E. Ford is a dedicated magnet school: it has no attendance zone, and every student applies. The district’s list of dedicated magnet schools describes its program as Montessori and Spanish Montessori. Families apply through the district’s magnet lottery, which for the 2026-27 school year ran Dec. 1, 2025, to Jan. 31, 2026; seats left after the lottery are offered through controlled open enrollment. Dedicated magnet schools set academic standards for entry and for staying enrolled, according to the district’s magnet standards page. The school became a dedicated magnet for 2026-27; neighborhood students not already enrolled were rezoned to S.P. Livingston or Andrew A. Robinson elementary schools, according to the district’s May 28, 2026, notice on 2026-27 school changes.

Calendar and bell times

Classes run 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the district’s 2026-27 school hours, which list the school as an exception to the standard schedule.

From the district’s 2026-27 calendar:

  • Monday, Oct. 12: no school for students (employee planning day)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: schools closed for Veterans Day
  • Nov. 23-27: schools closed for Thanksgiving week
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, 2027: winter break
  • Monday, Jan. 4, 2027: employee planning day, no school for students
  • Monday, Jan. 18, 2027: schools closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • March 15-19, 2027: schools closed for spring break week
  • Friday, May 28, 2027: last day of school

Programs

The district’s magnet programs list shows two magnet programs here: Montessori; Montessori - Spanish. For the next level, the list names Darnell-Cookman School of Medical Art, Paxon School for Advanced Studies, Samuel W. Wolfson School for Advanced Studies and Stanton College Preparatory as the continuing programs.

More on Jacksonville schools

Frequently asked questions

What grades does John E. Ford Pre K-8 serve?

Pre-K to grade 8. It is a Duval County Public Schools magnet school at 1137 Cleveland St. in Jacksonville.

What is John E. Ford Pre K-8’s school grade?

John E. Ford Pre K-8 earned a C in Florida’s 2026 school grades, with 57% of possible points. It earned an A in 2025.

What time does John E. Ford Pre K-8 start?

Classes run 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the district’s 2026-27 school hours.