Murray Hill Jacksonville Schools: What Parents Need to Know About the District

Which Schools Serve Murray Hill Homes?

Murray Hill students are zoned to the following Duval County Public Schools based on address:

• Elementary: Fishweir Elementary (GreatSchools rating 6/10) or Douglas Anderson School of the Arts K-5 (magnet program)
• Middle: Riverside Middle School (GreatSchools rating 3/10) or LaVilla School of the Arts (magnet, rating 9/10)
• High: Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (GreatSchools rating 9/10) or Robert E. Lee High School (rating 5/10)

Exact boundaries shift block by block. The Duval County Public Schools boundary finder at dcps.duvalschools.org is the only reliable way to confirm which schools serve your specific address. Don't trust real estate listings alone — verify directly with the district before making an offer.

Magnet schools like Douglas Anderson and LaVilla require applications and auditions or portfolio submissions. Acceptance is not guaranteed, so families should plan for their zoned school as the default option.

How Murray Hill Jacksonville Schools Ratings Compare to Nearby Neighborhoods

Murray Hill's school performance sits in the middle range for urban Jacksonville neighborhoods. Here's how it stacks up:

• Fishweir Elementary: 6/10 GreatSchools rating, with 48% of students meeting state reading standards and 54% meeting math standards (2023-24 data)
• Riverside Middle: 3/10 rating, a significant concern for families with tweens — only 32% of students meet reading proficiency and 29% meet math proficiency
• Robert E. Lee High: 5/10 rating, with a 91% graduation rate but only 38% of students scoring college-ready on SAT/ACT benchmarks

Compared to San Marco Jacksonville, which zones to higher-rated schools like Hendricks Avenue Elementary (8/10) and Landon Middle (7/10), Murray Hill's zoned schools require more active parent involvement or consideration of magnet/private options.

Many Murray Hill families apply to magnet programs like Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (9/10, consistently ranked among Florida's top public high schools) or LaVilla School of the Arts for middle school. These competitive programs draw students citywide and require advance planning.

Private and Charter School Options Near Murray Hill

Murray Hill's location gives families access to several well-regarded private schools within a 10-minute drive:

• Riverside Presbyterian Day School: PreK-8, tuition $10,500-$14,200/year, strong academics with small class sizes (located in Riverside, 1.5 miles from Murray Hill)
• The Bolles School: K-12, tuition $22,000-$28,000/year, college-prep focus with 100% college acceptance rate (San Jose campus 4 miles away)
• Bishop Kenny High School: Catholic, grades 9-12, tuition $13,500/year, 98% graduation rate (Arlington, 6 miles from Murray Hill)
• Episcopal School of Jacksonville: PreK-12, tuition $18,000-$26,000/year, rigorous academics on a 37-acre campus (Southside, 12 miles)

For families considering Murray Hill Jacksonville schools alongside private options, budget $10,000-$28,000 per child annually for tuition alone — not including uniforms, activities, or transportation.

Charter schools like KIPP Impact Middle School (4 miles, GreatSchools 7/10) and Duval Charter Scholars Academy (7 miles, rating 8/10) offer lottery-based enrollment as free alternatives to traditional public schools. Applications typically open in January for the following school year.

What to Ask About Schools When Buying in Murray Hill

Before making an offer on a Murray Hill home, confirm these details with your agent and the school district:

• Exact school zoning for the address: Boundaries change, and two homes on the same street can zone to different schools
• Magnet school application timelines: Douglas Anderson and LaVilla applications open in November for the following fall — missing the window means waiting another year
• Transportation availability: Not all Duval County schools provide bus service to Murray Hill addresses, especially for magnet programs
• School capacity and waitlists: Popular elementary schools like Fishweir sometimes have enrollment caps or require proof of residency before August

If you're buying in Murray Hill specifically for school access, work with an agent familiar with Duval County zoning nuances. Clay Szlosek can pull school boundary maps for any address and help you time your closing to meet enrollment deadlines — reach out at clayszlosek.com.

Families moving from neighborhoods like Riverside Jacksonville or Ortega Jacksonville should note that school quality varies more widely in Murray Hill's zone — factor this into your home search budget if private school tuition becomes part of your plan.

How School Ratings Impact Murray Hill Home Values

Murray Hill's median home price sits at $285,000 as of Q1 2026, roughly 12-18% lower than nearby Riverside or Avondale — partly due to school rating differences. Homes in the Fishweir Elementary zone tend to sell faster (average 28 days on market) than those zoned to lower-rated schools.

If you're considering Murray Hill as an investment property, school ratings matter less for renters without school-age children. The neighborhood attracts young professionals, grad students, and empty nesters who prioritize walkability and proximity to Five Points over school performance.

For buyers planning to resell within 5-7 years, understand that school ratings influence buyer pool size. A home zoned to Riverside Middle (3/10) will have fewer competing offers than one in San Marco's Landon Middle zone (7/10), even if the homes are otherwise comparable.

That said, Murray Hill's low entry price and walkable character make it a strong buy for families willing to supplement with private school or magnet programs. You're essentially trading school convenience for neighborhood character and affordability — a trade-off that works well for many Jacksonville families.

Should You Buy in Murray Hill If Schools Matter?

Murray Hill works best for families in these situations:

• Your child qualifies for magnet programs: If your student can audition into Douglas Anderson or LaVilla, Murray Hill's housing value is unbeatable for access to top-tier programs
• You're budgeting for private school anyway: Paying $15,000/year for Riverside Presbyterian is easier when your mortgage is $300k instead of $450k in Avondale
• You have elementary-age kids only: Fishweir Elementary (6/10) is solid, and you'll have time to plan your middle school strategy
• You prioritize walkability over school ratings: Murray Hill's tree-lined streets, local coffee shops, and proximity to Five Points may outweigh school concerns for your family

Murray Hill is harder to recommend if you need a guaranteed high-performing zoned school at every level, have limited budget for private tuition, or plan to stay through high school without pursuing magnet options.

If Murray Hill's school situation doesn't fit your family, consider San Marco Jacksonville (higher home prices but better zoned schools) or neighborhoods near Bolles or Episcopal campuses where private school commutes are shorter.

Need help weighing school zoning against other Murray Hill factors like parking availability or resale timelines? Let's talk through your specific situation — I'll pull current school data and home availability for your search criteria. Contact me at clayszlosek.com.