Jefferson County Middle / High School

Jefferson County Middle / High School (JCMHS) is a public school in unincorporated Jefferson County, Florida, with a Monticello postal address.[4] A part of Jefferson County Schools, it serves grades 6 - 12. The school's mascot is a tiger and the school colors are orange and blue.[5] It is at 50 David Road, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the center of Monticello.[6] The school was formerly housed in the historic Jefferson Academy building, opened in 1852 in the first brick school building in Florida. Minority enrollment at Jefferson County Middle / High School is about 340 and 84 percent minority.[7] It was operated by Somerset Academy Inc. for five years.[8] The student body is majority-minority, about 60 percent African American.

Jefferson County Middle/High School
Address
Map
50 David Road

, ,
32344

United States
Coordinates30°29′27″N 83°52′46″W / 30.4908°N 83.8794°W / 30.4908; -83.8794
Information
School typePublic
School districtJefferson County Schools (Florida)
PrincipalJackie Pons
Enrollment366[1] (2022-23)
Color(s)Blue and orange     [1]
NicknameTigers[1]
Websitehttps://www.jeffersonschools.net/jeffersonk12school
Monticello High School
(former building)
LocationMonticello
Coordinates30°32′41″N 83°52′23″W / 30.5446°N 83.8731°W / 30.5446; -83.8731
Built1852/1915[3]
Architectural styleGreek Revival[3][2]
NRHP reference No.99000373[2]
Added to NRHPMarch 25, 1999

History

edit

Jefferson Academy

edit

Jefferson Academy was established in Monticello in 1852.[9] The school building, described as being the first school built with bricks in Florida, was constructed in 1852 using slave labor. It was designed by Samuel Carroll.[10] Jefferson Academy alumni included William Bailey Lamar.[11]

The school building was used for Jefferson County High School after the academy closed.[10] The school became known as such when the white schools merged into Jefferson County High School.[12]

Monticello High School

edit

Also referred to as Monticello High School, the historic former school building is located at 425 West Washington Street. On March 25, 1999, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

The vernacular school building was expanded on the east and west sides in 1915 and the columns added to the front, giving is a Neoclassical architecture appearance.[2]

By 1980,[13] the original section of the facility was no longer used as a school, and only the addition was. In 2004 the current facility opened. It had a cost of $17,200,000. The school district and the county government moved offices into the former facility.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "FHSAA Member Schools". Florida High School Activities Association. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  2. ^ a b c "National Register of Historical Places - Florida (FL), Jefferson County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-02-20.
  3. ^ a b "Jefferson County listings". Florida's History Through Its Places. Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs. 2007-02-20. Archived from the original on 2007-02-16.
  4. ^ "Home". Jefferson County Middle / High School. Retrieved 2022-05-15. Jefferson County Middle/High School 50 David Road Monticello, FL 32344 - Compare to the 2020 U.S. Census Map of Monticello city. The school is outside the city limits.
  5. ^ "Jefferson County High School (Monticello, FL) Varsity Football".
  6. ^ a b Vann, Kim McCoy (2004-08-03). "Jefferson High history begins anew". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. pp. 1A, 2A. - Clipping of first and of second page from Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "US News". Archived from the original on 2019-01-05. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  8. ^ "Tallahassee lawmaker seeks investigation into Jefferson County Schools intrigue".
  9. ^ Davis, Betty (20 May 2011). Haunted Monticello, Florida. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781625841551 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b Brown, Alan (25 June 2013). Haunted Big Bend, Florida. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781614239710 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ United States Congress. "William Baily Lamar (id: L000031)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  12. ^ "History". Jefferson County High School. 2005-04-15. Archived from the original on 2005-04-15. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  13. ^ Lansing, George Taylor Jr (12 March 2011). "Jefferson County High School Marker, Monticello, FL". George Lansing Taylor Collection Main Gallery. University of North Florida Digital Commons. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
edit