Lavilla School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida

“LaVilla is a fabulous school! We love it!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter started the 6th grade at LaVilla this year and LOVES it! She has excelled in her visual arts area with the exceptional guidance of her instructors.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I now attend LaVilla at the moment, in 8th grade, and I feel so very grateful that I get to go to a school with such passion for everything. There is your regular middle school drama chock full of cliques and trying to fit in, but it's great, because at LaVilla, we tend to understand differences more, and can work out our problems by using our talent and spirit. I will never forget this achieving school!”
This review was posted by a student.

“The school is awsome for children hungry for knowledge about the arts.I got accepted!!! I never knew that i would. I didnt know anything about that school until MLK Elementry told me.”
This review was posted by a student.

“this school is an excellent school! im in 8th grade here and my overall experience here has been great. its best of both worlds becasue you get the great acedemics and you also get to do what you love to do! the teachers and administrators here really care about how you learn and what youre doing. its just a great school. its also nice that they have high standards here too. you have to really have a passion for what you're doing to excell.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I am in 11th grade at DA now, but I went to LaVilla for 6th-8th grade and I loved it! Mrs.Griffin is an amazing director and she helped me improve a lot on violin! =D”
This review was posted by a student.

“Best feeling of community. Best participation by parents/kids/teachers. Great School~”
This review was posted by a parent.

“im a 7th grader there an it i just way to many students there this year and we only have fou minutes to get to class and it would be cooler if we had sports at our school but its still a pretty good school because we have arts and that can get yo a long way”
This review was posted by a student.

“I am a 7th grader at lavilla and i loooove it! ms.griffin the orch. teacher is soo nice! Any one who wants to go to this school has made a great choice.”
This review was posted by a student.

“i LOVE La Villa!!i am in 6th and there is a fair amount of homework but its not bad. my chorus teacher mr.pendry is BRILLIANT! the kids are really nice and i have friends that are in 6th grade, 7th grade, AND 8th grade!! if you love the arts and our willing to WORK then La Villa is perfect!”
This review was posted by a student.

“My son attended LaVilla as a sixth grader last year in the guitar program. It was absolutely wonderful! The Christmas program is certainly a highlight. Unfortunately, he will not be attending this year due to the change in bus routes. We are opting to keep him in our neighborhood school - Mandarin Middle. I hope the new bus routes (not dropping in neighborhoods) does not alter the student population to the extent that LaVilla loses its diversity.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I was excited but nervous when my child was accepted to attened lasota. She has an IEP , but that didn't change anyting . Im not saying it was the easiest school year she worked harder than she has ever had to. she was in all standard classes with 'average' kids and if needed to leave the class to go take a test then she could.I am extremelly thankful to her guidence coun. Mrs Sheard, her math teacher Mrs Wilson , (Mrs Smith who came in to toutor her 4 days a week for 5 months with math) and Mrs Lunger 4 her patience. These woman have contibuted themselves to my daughters succsess at this great school! Great kids, teacers ,faculty, guidence, custodians (love u Mrs daniels) lunch ladies ( thank u for feedin my baby!) and police officer that dirrects trafic makes 4 a great school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“i give it all five stars because its a great eand has very high expectations for students needs and learning.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“i love lavilla it is so great i will go their intill the 8th grade. i am in band and i think it is so fun.we have a preformance coming up and i can't stop thinking about it.we have been practicing and practicing.sometimes lavilla can be tough but itis easy to catch up.other times every one is fun and energized like me. i just love it.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I love Lavilla.I'm in the 7th grade and take chorus and drama.I love Mr.Pendry(chorus teacher).He is funny and nice.This school is very clean,there are nice people here so it is easy to make friends.I would definetly recommend this school cuz you can show your true talents and live ur dream.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I love LaVilla. It is a great school. I'm a dancer there and the environment is great. You get all the help you need and you can sign up for after school help if you need it. I would recommend this school to someone who loves the Arts. So many great opportunities come from being here at LaVilla, I love it here. (:”
This review was posted by a student.

“Im in 8th grade for singing and i absoplutly hate this school, Way to much stress! I have hours and hours of homework ever night, and thats not added with the rehearsal time! A majority of the people their are materialistic and can be rude. Even some of the teachers are rude. I was looking forward to going to this school, and now i cant wait to leave.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I go to lavilla for visual arts and it is an AMAZING school. the cafetiria food isn't all that great, but you get used to it. btw, this is a shoutout to Mr.Lux!!”
This review was posted by a student.

“I love this school my child gets what she needs in everything . She loves the teachers and administration. I love this school”
This review was posted by a parent.

“i luv lavilla . i am going into my third year there and i have learned so much in my academic calses and my art area(s)-band -keyboard. if u are still you are thinking of having your child or if they want to come here it would be a good oppurtunity.”
This review was posted by a student.

“LaVilla was by far the best school i have ever attended. i went all three years and as the years went on i loved it more and more. at lavilla you are free to express yourself through your arts area and you get to hang ut with people that have the same intrests as you.i learned so much through my arts area teachers, especilly my technical theatre class and costume design class. the academic teachers there are also amazing. they take time to individualy talk ablout problems and struggles you are going through in class. this school does an amazing job at preparring you for your next step in life, highschool. through lavilla i learned more than enough skills to get accepted into douglas anderson school of the arts. i love this school and i recommend it to any one and everyone dedicated to academics and thier arts areas.”
This review was posted by a student.

“i absolutly love this school.here your in an environment where you can express who you are.the teachers are amazing, you can talk to them as if they were one of your friends.this is the best school ever!”
This review was posted by a student.

“Lavilla is a great school for artistic middle schoolers. Whether its academics or arts areas lavilla has it under control. I am currently going into the 8th grade and every year Lavilla has gone above and beyond expectations. I am happy to go to Lavilla!”
This review was posted by a student.

“LaVilla Scholl of the Arts is an elite magent school. A vast majority of students are at LaVilla due to the excellence of their audition. This school has phenomenal academics which is key to maintain high standards at every level. (students must perform well in academics as well as their chosen arts area). This school prepares students to enter Douglas Anderson High School of the Arts. This high school is filled by audition only. I can think of no better place for my student to flourish as she explores her God-given talents and abilities.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“lavilla school of the arts is the best there is....I sent my son to private school all through elementry..I personally the education was as good as any private school in the city. My son found his nitch at Lavilla, his self-esteem was able to flower. By the far the best middle school in Jacksonville.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I have been going to lavilla for 3 years now. lavilla rocks! lavilla has all you will ever need.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I love this school. I have been going to it since I was in 6th grade and now I am in 8th and going Douglas Anderson School of the arts. And I love the fact that I can do my art (dancing) and keep up with my academics. So instead of working one side of the brain and can work both. Which makes you a much more well rounded person and have alot more career options in your life.”
This review was posted by a student.

“The school and population are very amazing. I'm always exciting to be a part of such a talented group of people. But the administration seem to get overwhelmed sometimes and it makes things harder to get done. So they have to rush situations that take time. That is not always the case thought. It rarely ever happens, but when it does, stress levels are high around campus.”
This review was posted by a student.

“This school is an excellent school and has a lot of academic help and has a lot of after school stuff like team up, tutoring.Grade recovery and many more”
This review was posted by a student.

“it's a freaking awesome school and i'm proud to go there!!!!”
This review was posted by a student.

“It as an awsome I school!!!!!!! I love it their!!!!!! I don't want to leave for D.A.!!!!!”
This review was posted by a student.

“Ive been a student at lavilla for three years now and i think its ok. If you really love your arts area, you should go here. I have been in art, drama, chorus, and my major, creative writing. The math and language arts teachers are very good. The arts area teachers are ok, often if you try to contact them, they will not anwser you back. Great school to go to if you want to go to douglus anderson high school ( lavilla's feeder school). I personally am going to attend stanton college prep because i found myself growing bored of attending classes for my arts area for three years in row and dont want to go to da for another 4 years of it. If you go to lavilla, make sure you love your arts area. Best school ive ever attended. Horriable school lunches. Hehe. No uniform is great!”
This review was posted by a student.

“LaVilla is 10 in my book for middle schools. It is well funded, an 'A' school, has excellent arts area teachers and great academic teachers. It has a dedicated staff who work hard to make the school not only academically, but artistically and to help the students well rounded individuals.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter has been going to LaVilla Middle School for two years now...Best choice we made !! Good school, good teachers.....for good students.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My son has been going to Lasota for 2 years now. I must say that this year has been the worst year. If your child has any type of behaviour problems this is not the school for them. I feel like my child gets referrals for breathing the wrong way. They look for my son to get in trouble. As far as the academics,teachers do not contact you. I initially was very happy when he was accepted here but I do not think he will go here next year.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter has attended LaVilla for three years and it saddens me to see her leave such a special school. She was in the gifted program where all of her teachers were incredibly pleasant and challenging for the students. My daughter also branched socially outside of the gifted program; meeting friends through art or PE classes. Though the physical education program lacked proper resources, it was perfectly adaptable and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed it. The student body of course has its differences, but I found the kids could all connect through their art. LaVilla is a school full of normal kids that enjoy music, or dance, etc. Its the best place to go if you are serious about your arts area, but you shouldn't feel intimidated. My daughter has many friends that take beginner courses and love it. LaVilla was the best choice.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Wonderful arts electives, interesting and insightful academic courses. Great parent involvment. Would like to see a greater celebration of diversity, as American art is so very rich due to the contributions from such a diverse poplulation.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Teachers really care about the kids. Strong arts classes. Can be difficult to balance academics and arts schedule for the student and parent. Minimal gym class and no sports at all.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Great choice for arts areas -parental booster support is lagging at times...not for the timid student,but a wonderful opportunity for the creative ones to grow their talents. Parents need to monitor schoolwork as with any academic program.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Nice students and competent teachers. Terrific arts programs”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Band program is superb; many levels of instruction offered in academic areas. Kind, capable teachers. Nice students. Students who don't do assignments and fail may be asked to return to neighborhood schools.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My child's art is creative writing. So far she really likes school and most of her teachers. Been on one field trip already this school year. I've only paid $40 for the yearly activity fees.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I have been very happy with both the academic courses and arts courses for my daughter at LaVilla. I attend almost every concert and performance and I have to keep reminding myself that I am watching or listening to middle school children. The orchestra and jazz band are amazing! They sound professional. The fall musical was the best middle school performance ever. The gifted teachers are the smartest, most caring ones a child could have. The administrators listen. My only negative comments are: the pe program is leaves a lot to be desired, and there are no sport teams. The school is so crowded, your child may not get their first or even second choices in arts classes. The arts teachers are not always fair in the levels that they assign the kids.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter is going to LaVilla now (2002-2005) and she loves it. I have had a couple of minor teacher issues, but the Principal is great and addresses issues promptly. My daughter has learning disabilities and her counseler and most of the teachers help her with what she needs. Overall I am very pleased with LaVilla.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“There is no limit to the wonderful things that I have to say about this scool. The Acdemic Department and the Preforming Arts Departments truely work together to better the school and the learning enviroment in both areas. I am impressed with the Vocal Department that my child is in. The professionalism that Mr. Smith and Mr. Pendry demonstrate to the children is a guide for them to live by!! A special thank you to the school for making this opportunity available for my child. Thanks.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter just finished her third year at Lavilla and loved it.The school is much better with the new principle.The kids seem much happier with her.Some of the teachers are really bad about returning phone calls.In some cases one teacher never returned any.One math teacher does not allow make up work in her class, so beware. It really hurt my daughters grade in the end even though she brought her grade up two letter grades.The teacher refused to work with me or my daughter. Overall except for two teachers in three years this school was an excellent experience for her. I know you know of all the good at Lavilla,sometimes we just need to hear what to steer clear of. I still give the schhol an A.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am so proud that my daughter is able to attend LaVilla. It is an amazing school. This has been wonderful for my daughter. I know Mrs. Skinner from another school and am so glad she is here at LaVilla with my daughter again.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The Guidance Department, Mrs. Sheard, is tops. My two sons middle school experience was a great experience. It really helps your children have a safe learning environment without a lot of behavioral disruptions. It's a small and friendly environment with state of the art facilities. Office Staff is great. ESE Dept needs a review in my opinion and I will leave it at that. As a whole it was a great experience for my sons. My sons have utilized some ESE/AP Classes (tough) and reg. education. The arts are serious, so prepare your student for a serious course of study. But my son's trip to NYC was great!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“LASOTA is the best school for my children that are interested in Art. My son is now in 10th grade at DASOTA and my daughter is in 8th grade at Lasota gearing for DASOTA. I want to thank all the staff, teachers and especially the Vice-Principal for their support to my children. They ensure that I am notified when both of my children started back sliding in one or two academic subjects.The teachers are our support team to achieve our goals for our children. My youngest son is in Kirby-Smith 6th grade. I support our teachers, the education system by taking responsibility for our children future. Thank you.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“LaVilla is the place for middle school students who care about the arts in Jacksonville. My daughter attended for three years and is now at Douglas Anderson. She loved school at LaVilla and the teachers provided her with excellent challenging material in almost every class.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Since arriving as the new principal at LaVilla School of the Arts in July, I have found a special student body, a dedicated staff, and involved parents. LaVilla is the only dedicated magnet school of the arts for middle school students in northeast Florida where students from a variety of backgrounds and sections of our city participate and learn together. We are committed to making LaVilla a school focused on performance standards where every child is helped to advance artistically and academically. Safety nets include grade recovery, Team Up, and Saturday School. I am proud of these eager students, talented staff and supportive community and I am committed to working with them to maintain LaVilla's A school rating.”
This review was posted by a principal.

“I found the faculty, staff and administration to be very helpful and most concerned about the well-being and success of my children...and they are in two separate arts areas! They both have grown so much, and are so motivated to succeed. Academically, I find that the teachers constantly challenge their students, and push for their very best, but they also incorporate their own love of the arts to accomplish these goals. I would not have wanted my children to be any where else for Middle School. There is so much opportunity at LaVilla for parents to volunteer and be involved. Even though I am a single mother with a very full time career, there has always been something that I could find to help with - and a smiling face to welcome my participation. I think that my involvement has kept me up to date on what is happening in the school in general, and has helped me to stay on top of my own childrens' academic & arts performance in a way that was not resented by my kids. That is a difficult thing to balance in Middle School. I would highly recommend LaVilla School of the Arts - and with an enrollment of over 1000 students, and a waiting list of over 2000, I think that their results, both academically and in each arts area, speak for themselves!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“LaVilla has a new principal this year (thank goodness). As for the guidance office, I have found them to be generally useless as a mediation tool between the student in trouble and the teacher. This could also be a function of the former principal, and could be better in the future, we'll see. The emphasis is on the arts, which on the surface sounds great, but the pressure to get into Douglass Anderson is almost too much. My child is now in 8th grade, so we'll see how the 'guidance' to other high schools goes. All I can say it's a good thing I contacted the teachers myself, because no one initiates contact, not the teacher; not the guidance office. They think that the progress report is that contact. You cannot trust them to do the best for you child, because it's like a political party - they do what's best for the school. They want to keep that 'A', which I don't really blame them for, but it seems like they focus on the students that will keep them there. It is a difficult environment academically for those who struggle with their assigments, in that there is no individual assistance. As a parent of a child who was in danger of failing, I called all of my child's teachers to monitor assignments/progress. It did not feel like the teachers welcomed my involvement. Most of them I had to call several times before I spoke to them, even getting the principal involved because they would not call me back within 24 hours (as policy states.) Some of them are rude. A parent has to really be on top of things there.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I love LaVilla, it is great 4 every kind of person, it is a great program for talented kids.”
This review was posted by a student.

“It is a great school the teachers and students are wonderful.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Initially, I thought this was a great school, but I later found out it is insensitive to minorities and to students that have learning problems. The school is not parent friendly at all, teachers do not communicate well at all with parents. This is one school that I hate that my daughter ever attended.”
This review was posted by a parent.