Our Story

DePaul School of N.E. Florida (DSNF) was founded in August 1980 by a group of Jacksonville parents who realized Northeast Florida desperately needed a school for kids with dyslexia.

They envisioned a school that taught the way these kids were wired to learn: 

• It would be multisensory, using the Orton Gillingham approach.
• It would have immersive lessons, creative projects, free play, and lots of variety.
• It would teach research-based material and curriculum to mastery.
• It would play to each child’s strengths, and give each student the tools needed to address areas of weakness.
• It wouldn’t overload students with excessive homework, or ignore them as they fell behind.

DePaul started as a Saturday program, and grew into a summer program, and finally a full-time day school in 1982. DSNF is accredited by the AISF and the NCPSA, and is accountable to a board of directors and the McKay and Step Up For Students Scholarship programs.

Since its inception, DePaul has educated children with dyslexia. The goal of DePaul is to teach children the way they learn so they can succeed in education, and eventually, in fulfilling their life’s work as members of our community.

If you’d like to know more, contact us for a 30-minute tour.