NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. — Consolidation and the school district’s budget shortfall will be a big challenge for Duval County Public Schools’ next superintendent. The school district held its first public meeting to discuss the consolidation proposal last night at Fletcher High School.
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The meeting last night was the first of 7 planned by DCPS to garner feedback on the plan. The room was packed with parents and teachers pleading their cases to save their schools.
A sea of pink with the message “Save Atlantic Beach Elementary” littered the crowd as parents and teachers shared their concerns with consolidation. This all happened after the school board announced a consultant’s proposal to redraw school boundaries, align feeder patterns and consolidate many small or low-enrolled schools.
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DCPS said the plan was developed due to a billion-dollar funding gap it projected related to the 2019 Master Facility Plan. It said the district is facing challenges with charter and private school voucher choice programs.
Some parents and community members are voicing their concerns.
“There’s not a single school that won’t be impacted by this whether it’s needing to absorb schools or needing to be closed. I think it’s really inappropriate in today’s environment. Florida is operating at a budgetary surplus,” one parent explained at last night’s meeting.
The next school consolidation meeting will be on June 10. DCPS is also encouraging people to give feedback by filling out a 10-to-15-minute survey on the DCPS website.
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