DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools is alerting families about an unofficial “Senior Skip Day” circulating on social media and is urging students to stay in class.
District officials and local law enforcement flagged a flyer promoting the event, scheduled for Friday, March 27, at Jacksonville Beach.
The district is reminding families that the event is not school-sanctioned, and students who participate will receive an unexcused absence.
“This is not a school-sanctioned event,” district officials said.
This is happening at a time when teen takeovers have recently led to police getting involved.
Previous issues
Sgt. Tonya Tator of Jacksonville Beach Police said monitoring the beach during Senior Skip Day is something the department has been doing for years, and they will be ready to respond if things get out of hand.
Last year, Senior Skip Day coincided with Spring Break, with a flyer circulating on social media urging students to head down to the beach.
Jacksonville Beach Police sent a warning to people on Facebook, saying there’s a zero-tolerance policy for any unauthorized and unpermitted events, and they could lead to arrests.
And that’s what happened.
Jacksonville Beach police said they broke up large crowds on Senior Skip Day last year, arrested one person, and seized two rifles and two handguns from different cars that had rival gang members in them.
DCPS: Don’t skip
DCPS put out a memo in its bi-weekly newsletter earlier this week addressing the possibility of Senior Skip Day.
“We encourage families to discuss the importance of school attendance with their students to ensure they stay on track for graduation,” DCPS wrote.
School leaders say attendance matters — and missing even one day can have lasting consequences. When students are frequently absent, they miss essential classroom instruction that cannot always be replicated at home.
The district says chronic absenteeism is also linked to lower academic achievement and increased frustration.
Beyond academics, the district says absences can take a social toll. They say students who miss school often may feel disconnected from their teachers and peers, making it harder to return.