Education - Ponte Vedra Beach

• Public schools in Ponte Vedra (St. Johns County) are nationally acclaimed.
• Nease High School was designated a "five-star school" by the State of Florida and Rawlings Elementary is a pilot for the state's Exceptional Student Program. Ponte Vedra High School opened Fall 2008 to serve the young adults of Ponte Vedra Beach.
• Student scores on nationally standardized tests rank higher each year.
• Ponte Vedra schools offer attractive teacher/student ratios.
• Due to the proximity of the schools to the neighborhoods and Ponte Vedra's strong community spirit, the students enjoy close interaction with area residents.
• Many private schools and institutions of higher learning are convenient and accessible. These include community colleges and a state-supported university, the University of North Florida, just 20 minutes away .
• In addition, the larger University of Florida in Gainesville, and Florida State University in Tallahassee are both within three hours.

Education - Jacksonville

• The designation of "magnet schools" for specific studies has raised student standards.
• Schools like Stanton Preparatory, a public magnet school, allow students interested in pursuing a future career in law or medicine to study at an advanced rate.
• Douglas Anderson School of the Arts leads the country with five consecutive national championships in music, a theatre department that is world renowned, and a chorus department that has played in Vienna and Carnegie Hall.

Taxes

• Florida and Jacksonville have some of the lowest taxes in the nation. There is no state income tax. There are two main taxes in Florida -- a real estate tax and a sales tax on all purchases except food and medicine.
• Florida also has a minor intangible tax which is applied to stocks, bonds, loans, mutual funds and other intangibles. There is a $20,000 exemption for individuals and $40,000 for couples. The initial intangible tax rate is $1.00 per $1,000 up to $100,000.
• Any person who has legal or equitable title to real property in Florida and who resides there as his permanent residence is eligible for a $50,000 exemption from city, county and school board assessed values. This is referred to as a "Homestead Exemption." There is no length of residency requirement for this exemption although the applicant must occupy the home on January 1 of the tax year to qualify.