The Leon County School District offers programs in education for the gifted, physically and emotionally handicapped, and homebound, as well as programs in vocational education, special education, adult job preparation, and adult general education. Leon County students continue to score higher than students state-wide and nationally on the Scholastic Achievement Test.
The following is a summary of data regarding the Leon County School District as of the 2003–2004 school year.
Total enrollment: 31,857
Number of facilities
elementary schools: 24
junior high/middle schools: 7
combination schools: 3
senior high schools: 6
other: 2 charter and 9 other
Student/teacher ratio: 18.6
Teacher salaries
average: $39,117
Funding per pupil: $3,485
Public Schools Information: Superintendent, Leon County School District, 2757 W. Pensacola St., Tallahassee, FL 32304; telephone (850)487-7100
Florida State University, with its more than 38,000 students, is known for its science program, performing arts curricula, and super computing; it recently added a new School of Computational Science and Information Technology. Florida A & M University, founded in 1888 as a primarily African American institution, has more than 9,000 students; it has received acclaim for its business, pharmacy, and engineering schools, as well as for being home of the high-stepping Marching 100 Band. Tallahassee Community College serves 10,000 students, most of whom are in the associates-in-arts transfer program.
Tallahassee is also the site of the Lively Technical Center, one of ten centers for electronic excellence in the state, offering entry-level training in disciplines such as electronics, drafting, aircraft maintenance, and computer service. Keiser College, a private college, provides associate and bachelor degree programs in such fields as criminal justice, business administration and culinary arts
LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library maintains six branches housing nearly 319,000 volumes. The library offers a Tech/Media Section with a computer laboratory, books-on-tape, CD-ROMs, and a large video collection. Special features are its Youth Services section, Consumer Center, Map Resource Center, and Grants Information area. The library provides Tallahassee FreeNet, a free community internet provider that offers instruction and support.
The city of Tallahassee boasts more than 40 special and research libraries affiliated with educational institutions, state agencies, and private companies. Governmental libraries cover such subjects as environmental protection, agriculture, commerce, legal affairs, transportation, medical services, and public service.
Research centers affiliated with Florida State University (FSU) cover such topics as European politics, aquatic research, biomedical toxicology, environmental hazards, marine biology, neuroscience, communication science, computing, weather, insurance, management, real estate, population studies, and education. FSU's National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is one of the nation's newest high-tech laboratories for scientific research and engineering. Florida A & M University researches areas such as anti-inflammatory drugs, space life sciences, computers, transit, and child development.
Other research centers in the city include Tall Timbers Research Station, dedicated to protecting wildlands and preserving natural habitats; the Dyslexia Research Institute; and institutions that study conflict resolution, government, taxation, family services, and archeology.
Public Library Information: LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library, 200 West Park Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32301-7720; telephone (850)487-2665