JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s a controversial multi-million dollar cost-cutting measure that could impact the education of thousands of local students in the future.
Duval County Public Schools is considering eliminating busing for magnet school students to save money on transportation costs. The proposed changes aren’t in consideration for the upcoming 2023 school year and would not disrupt current transportation arrangements.
One parent said if it were to go away, it could have an impact on her daughter’s future in a specialized field.
Sarah King’s 17-year-old daughter is a rising junior who attends Andrew Jackson High School for a specialized magnet program.
“She’s good at it, she’s really good at it. She got straight A’s last year,” King said.
King’s daughter is taking classes in video game design, coding and computer science, a specialized curriculum that she might have to give up if magnet school busing is eliminated.
“Both me and my spouse work, so it would definitely be a challenge to get her after school even with after-school activities,” King said.
School board members told News4JAX the topic of eliminating busing to more than 50 magnet schools was recently discussed at a budget workshop as a way to cut operational costs.
The Duval County School District spends $63 million a year on transportation, which according to the district, is 66% more than other large Florida school districts spend.
DCPS Chief of Operations Paul Soares spoke with News4JAX by phone on Monday and said that transportation to choice schools is not something Florida law requires them to do.
He said while eliminating magnet school busing is on the table, it’s not something the school board is actively pursuing quite yet, and there are no plans to vote on the issue in the immediate future.
Soares said he wasn’t sure when the issue will be discussed again.
King just wants the school leaders to understand the impact that eliminating magnet busing would have on her child and others.
“They just need to consider families, families who work, and care about their kids’ education, and want the best for their kids, and at the same time it’s a challenge for working families to accommodate these hours,” King said.
School board leaders said Duval County is also considering combining bus routes to and from magnet schools in the same part of town because low ridership is also a contributing factor.
While the idea of the change is alarming to many families, it should be noted that there will be a public discussion about the change if it moves forward as a possibility.