The oldest continually operating high school in Florida draws from the rich community traditions of the past while reaching for a new tradition of advanced academic achievement.  Built in the 1860′s, Stanton was destroyed, rebuilt, moved, and changed from a comprehensive to vocational curricula. In 1981, Stanton College Preparatory School became Duval County Public Schools’ first magnet school. Beginning with grades 7-10, and adding one grade level each succeeding year, the first senior class of 54 students graduated in 1984. Stanton College Preparatory School now serves secondary students living within the 841 square miles of the Duval County school district and leads Duval County Public Schools in academic achievement. Stanton consistently ranks first in the county and in the top 3 in the state for the number of National Merit Semi-Finalists.