IDEA Public Schools breaks ground for West Jacksonville campus

Business

IDEA Public Schools, a network of tuition-free K-12 public charter schools, broke ground Oct. 1 for a new campus in Jacksonville comprising two schools, IDEA Compass Academy and College Preparatory.

The building at 4949 Blanding Blvd. was previously the headquarters of VyStar Credit Union, according to a news release. Over the coming months, it will be renovated to transform spaces previously used for banking operations into classrooms and other spaces for learning.

IDEA Compass Academy and College Preparatory will be the third campus in the IDEA Jacksonville region and will enroll students in grade levels K-6 in its first year.

The IDEA model offers a curriculum and a college support model that is designed to close the opportunity gap and increase levels of achievement by preparing students from underserved communities for success in college.

Breaking ground to begin construction of the new IDEA Compass Academy and College Preparatory in West Jacksonville, from left: Cody Grindle, president of IDEA Public Schools; Jeff Cottrill, CEO and superintendent of IDEA Public Schools; Zoe Rodgers and Naryah Drayton, students of IDEA Jacksonville; Tanya Thompson, principal of IDEA Compass; Zayne Beard, fourth grade student at IDEA Jacksonville; Micah Anderson, eighth grade student at IDEA Jacksonville; Simaran Bakshi, executive director of IDEA Jacksonville; Gary Chartrand, IDEA Florida board member; Adam Miller, national executive director of IDEA Florida; and Jacksonville City Council member Chris Miller.

IDEA says its mission is to prepare its graduates to succeed in college and life with the philosophy that all children can and will succeed if given the chance.

Founded in 2000, IDEA has more than 87,000 students enrolled in 145 schools nationwide, including across Florida, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas.

For 17 consecutive years, IDEA Public Schools says nearly 100% of its graduates have gone on to college, with many being first in their family to attend.

IDEA Compass plans to open August for the 2025-26 school year. Families interested in applying or in learning more can visit ideapublicschools.org.