The LCS History Website is currently under development and not publicly available at this time.

Education in Leon County began with the establishment of a private school, the Leon Academy for Boys, in 1821. This was four years prior to the incorporation of Tallahassee. The Leon Academy for Girls, also a private school, was established in 1831. However, it was not until 1856 that the first public school was opened at Woodville. The first Lincoln High School was opened in 1876 and served grades 1 through 12. This school was closed in 1970. The new Lincoln High School opened in 1975-76 and serves grades 9 through 12. The first large elementary school, Caroline Brevard, was built in 1924. The original Caroline Brevard building was eventually sold to the State and the money from the sale was used to construct the present Caroline Brevard. In 1934, the district purchased from the Primitive Baptist Church of Florida what was then called Griffin College, a private, boarding institution for grades 1 through 12. In 1955, the new Griffin Junior High was completed and occupied on the ten-acre site where it now stands. The school, which is now a middle school, has also been an elementary school. In 1972, the administration moved from the courthouse to the present site on Pensacola Street.

Local efforts for a kindergarten program began in 1905 when a law suggested by the Tallahassee Woman’s Club was introduced and passed by the Legislature. The first public kindergarten provided in Leon County, in 1916, cost $1,600 to build and equip. Kindergartens were discontinued at Caroline Brevard and Sealey in 1941. The present kindergarten program was initiated in 1968 with 21 classes in 11 schools. 

The Leon County School district has been an accrediated school district (currently accredited with Cognia) since 1914. 

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Public funds expended for education reflect the growth of population, public interest in providing education for all interested citizens and the upsurge of the economic life of the county, state, and country. The picture of the trend in total expenditures for education in Leon County is as follows:

Teacher qualifications have been raised through the years. In 1957, all elementary teachers had certificates of Rank III or above except one. Thirty-two percent of the 1971-72 elementary staff had master’s degrees or higher. At present, forty-three percent of the elementary staff have master’s degrees or higher. 

• Belle Vue Middle School, 1969-2009
• Caroline Brevard Elementary School, 1925-2007
• Leonard Wesson Elementary School, 1947-2007

All segregated schools were closed during the desegregation of Leon County schools in the late 1960s.

• Old Lincoln High School 1869-1969
• Station One School
• Concord School (Miccosukee)
• St. Peters School^[4]
• Lake McBride School^[5]
• Macon Community School^[6]
• Bell School^[7]
• Raney School^[8]
• Barrow Hill School^[9][10]
• Lucy Moten School^[11]
• Bellaire School^[12]
• Rural  schoolhouse near Miller's Pond^[13]
• Rural  schoolhouse in Saint Paul^[14]

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Only a few hundred are selected each year from across the nation. The following Leon County Schools have received this prestigious honor.^[13]

• Kate Sullivan Elementary School- 1985 & 2000
• Sealey Elementary School- 1989
• Hawks Rise Elementary School- 2000 & 2015
• Killearn Lakes Elementary School- 2004 & 2012
• Deerlake Middle School- 2005
• DeSoto Trail Elementary School- 2005
• Gilchrist Elementary School- 2008

• Since 1868, 17 individuals have served as the Superintendent of the Leon County Schools. The present Superintendent, Bill Montford, has been in office since November of 1996. Superintendent Montford is the eleventh superintendent to serve since 1917 so there have been long periods of operation under the same leadership, giving some stability to the system. 
• In 1975, and consistent with subsequent State of Florida statute guidelines (the Educational Accountability Act of 1976), Leon County initiated work towards performance-based promotional requirements. This policy was implemented K-5 in 1980, and K-6 in 1981, with extension to seventh and eight grades proposed for 1982. Parallel to implementing the promotional requirements for students, the district implemented a plan for assessing student progress in the basic skill areas (using nationally normed tests, 1976-; using skill-based master tests, 1979-) and regular reporting to parents on student progress over the basic skills and promotional standards. Preliminary efforts required establishing a uniform scope and sequence of skills in reading, language arts and math from which consistent objectives in basic skills were set district wide, and upon which basic skills promotional requirements were based, K-8.
• The Leon County Teacher Education Center was established in 1974, as a collaborative effort of district teachers and administrators, Florida State University and Florida A&M University Colleges of Education. The purpose of the center’s program includes the identification of staff development and teacher education needs and the facilitation of activities and resources to meet these needs.
• The first Community School was begun in 1974. That year we had seven elementary; one high school; one program county-wide that serves children and adults with disabilities; and five after-school elementary programs.
• The Leon School Volunteers were formerly organized in February 1970, with planning starting in 1969. The program began with approximately 200 volunteers giving service to six pilot schools: Astoria Park, Bond, Concord, Riley, W.T. Moore, and Griffin. Today the program extends into all schools with over 3,200 volunteers, giving over 75,000 hours of volunteer service to the schools system.
•  In 1977, using State OCO Grant funds, a closed circuit Instructional Television distribution system was implemented.
• Contracted public transportation began for white children in 1901. The first school bus was purchased by the county and put into operation between 1922-24. Transportation was provided for black children in 1947. In 1981-82, there were 12,061 registered bus riders being transported over 10,500 miles daily on 106 buses.
• The first school lunch program began at Sealey Elementary School in 1932, on a concession basis. Federal aid for school lunch began in the 1940's. School lunch supervisors were employed in 1952, for black schools and in 1953, for white schools. This year we serve approximately 13,500 lunches and 3,500 breakfasts (1,500 a la carte). Breakfast is served in all schools. By 1990 there were 16 schools on the satellite program and 15 on the self-contained program.
• In 1970, the Department of Student Services developed the "Student’s Rights and Responsibilities" Handbook. In 1980-81, Leon County Student Services developed a model program for dealing with student truancy – "Operation Spring Fever." In 1981-82, the Department of Student Services established the first detention center for students and established the "School Resource Officer".