‘It’s personal because of my son’: Principal of Duval charter school aims to bridge testing gap

Two new charter schools are set to open in Jacksonville in August 2022 to fill the gap for underperforming schools in the area.

One of the principals, Clint Rankin, moved to the River City specifically for the job, because of how the IDEA (Individuals Dedicated to Excellence and Achievement) school transformed his son’s development.

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“I love IDEA. Being able to see the benefits they have for children to close gaps academically and socially, but especially, it’s personal because of my son.”

Gabriel loves to read and play games. He just finished up second grade.

“He is fun to play with,” Clint Rankin said. “He is fun to be around. He would do anything for anyone. He would give you his last slice of pizza.”

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Gabriel’s life wasn’t always easy. At 2-years-old, he was found wandering the streets in downtown San Antonio, Texas, wearing just a diaper. Gabriel was removed from the care of his biological parents and placed in foster care. He began struggling in school.

“We began fostering Gabe in 2017,” Rankin said. [He] came to IDEA, when other schools decided he was a lost cause. They were not willing or able to help him due to behavior issues.”

At the age of four, Gabriel couldn’t fully speak. His speech was significantly delayed. He’d have accidents. He was also behind academically. Rankin said his previous foster parents got a call almost every day for his misbehavior. This was all prior to moving to an IDEA school.

“Gabe has closed his academic gaps tremendously,” Ranking said “Now, he reads above grade level. He can phonetically put together any sentence.”

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When the opportunity presented itself, Clint jumped to serve as principal at an IDEA school in Jacksonville.

Action News Jax first told you last July about the two campuses coming to the River City. (https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/duval-county/k-12-idea-public-charter-school-campus-coming-arlington/XOFIJLQTTJDP5CPN73XNDOMAW4/). The school is currently enrolling kids K-2nd and sixth grade. By 2028, it will become a full-staffed K-12 school.

Principal Rankin wants interested parents to know that the IDEA schools are meant to help students struggling in the classroom.

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“The same way IDEA invested in Gabe, my son,” Rankin said. “We would invest in your children day after day, because we care.”

IDEA is a tuition-free charter school. The two campuses will serve a combined 1,128 children in Jacksonville for the 2022-23 school years. Each campus will enroll 564 students in kindergarten, first, second and sixth grades in their inaugural year. They will then add two new grade levels each year until it becomes fully scaled.

Interested families can apply at https://ideapublicschools.org/regions/jacksonville.

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