JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thursday is the last day to weigh in on the Duval County school district’s plan for 30 new schools and renovations to dozens of current schools.
There have been seven community meetings in each of the seven school board members' subdistricts and the master plan is calling for nearly $2 billion in new schools and upgrades to existing schools. School leaders have been encouraging parents and community members to take an online survey to provide input of the proposed plan. Duval County School Board Vice Chair Warren Jones talked about the importance of the survey.
"(It's for) anyone who's interested in public education and how do we move forward in improving the learning environments," Jones said.
He said some subdistricts will be impacted more than others. For instance, subdistricts 3 and 5 will get the most new schools and the board wants to hear concerns from those parents, whether it be regarding the location of the schools, transportation or anything else.
Eventually, the district will be discussing how to pay for the nearly $2 billion project.
"All options are on the table," Jones said. "Whether it's a half-penny sales tax, which I think most people prefer, (or) whether it's a half-mil increase -- that has not yet been determined by the school board."
Several people, including Maria Croft, told News4Jax they're fine with paying more in taxes for better schools.
"Our schools in Duval County are aging out. There’s definitely some physical improvements that need to be made," Croft said. "I want to make sure the funds are allocated properly."
But others weighed in on social media, saying the opposite. One Facebook post reads, "Education should be paid by lottery and not property taxes."
Remember, if the school district does decide to raise the millage rate above what it is now, it would have to be a referendum because it’s already at the state’s cap. The City Council would have to approve the referendum and then it would go on the ballot for voters to decide.
If you missed your community’s meeting, you can find each of the seven presentations at http://www.dejongrichter.com/duvalfmp/. That link is also where you can take the survey. You have until 11:59 p.m. Thursday to fill out the survey. It’s simple, with only seven questions. Again, it's not just for parents, but for anyone who has an interest in Duval County's public schools.
You may want to save that website, as it's where the school district will continue to post updates as the master school plan process moves forward.
Next week, the school board will be presented with the survey results by the consultant who presented plans for each individual subdistrict.