JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville middle school recorded more fights than any other school in Florida in the 2024-25 school year, according to state data examined by the News4JAX I-TEAM.
Chaffee Trail Middle School reported 117 fights, the highest total in Florida at any grade level, according to the Florida Department of Education’s School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting System. The most recent data available were from the 2024-25 school year.
Two other Jacksonville schools also ranked high in reported fights: Westside Middle School with 92 (5th statewide) and Highlands Middle School with 89 (6th statewide).
The News4JAX I-TEAM took the data to Duval County Public Schools to get answers about how the district is handling the issue of fighting in its schools.
Chaffee Trail Principal Dr. Cicely Tyson-White said the numbers reflect a rough first year for a new school that opened in fall 2024 and quickly became overwhelmed by the number of students packing hallways during class changes.
“We were incredibly overcrowded,” Tyson-White said, adding that bringing together students from different communities also contributed to conflicts.
Tyson-White said district boundary changes reduced enrollment from more than 1,200 students to just over 1,000, giving administrators space to reorganize.
Sixth graders were moved to the first floor, additional security guards were hired, and more adults were placed in high-traffic areas.
Tyson-White said the changes have led to a major improvement.
“We have seen like a 50% reduction in incidents at our school,” she said.
Duval County Regional Superintendent for Middle Schools Dr. Jenifer Boatright said Westside and Highlands also experienced shifts tied to boundary and attendance zone changes.
“When you have students that come in from different neighborhoods, then sometimes problems arise because they’re getting used to each other,” Boatright said. “So there’s a cultural shift.”
Boatright said schools have studied student movement patterns and adjusted supervision and schedules. Strategies include adding staffing in high-traffic areas, adjusting class transition times based on building design, and imposing penalties for students who encourage fights or gather around altercations.
Administrators said the goal of the penalties for spectators is to change the culture around fights. They’re warning students not to run toward altercations, form crowds or record videos, because those actions could lead to discipline.
Boatright said reported fighting at Westside and Highlands has dropped between 20% and 40% with the new strategies in place.
District leaders said counselors, social workers and staff are also focusing on building relationships with students to identify conflicts early, including encouraging tips through Fortify Florida or direct reports to administrators.
The district hopes smaller enrollments, redesigned boundaries and more adult supervision will keep fight numbers down as the new school year begins next week.
The I-TEAM also analyzed fights per 1,000 students to compare schools by enrollment. Using that measure, Chaffee Trail ranked 18th statewide, Westside ranked 15th and Highlands ranked third.
Use the interactive map below to explore data on fights in schools across Northeast Florida.