JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If the attendance at Tuesday night’s Duval County School Board meeting is any indication, the seven community meetings the board has scheduled to discuss the district’s master facility plan will be packed.
Nearly 80 people came to the podium Tuesday during public comment to share their concerns about looming teacher cuts and possible school closures.
Recommended Videos
The master facility plan under consideration for Duval County Public Schools includes a proposal to close nearly 30 schools to make up for a $1.4 billion gap in the budget.
The changes would impact nearly every DCPS student.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Duval County School Board’s proposal to close & realign schools
But nothing has been decided yet, and before making any decisions, the school district wants to hear from the public.
There are seven community meetings planned around the district from May 21 to June 20 for the public to voice their concerns about the proposal.
Here’s the meeting schedule:
- Tuesday, May 21: District 2 meeting at Fletcher High School
- Monday, June 10: District 3 meeting at Main Administrative Building
- Tuesday, June 11: District 4 meeting at Stanton College Preparatory School
- Thursday, June 13: District 6 meeting at Ed White High School
- Monday, June 17: District 7 meeting at Atlantic Coast High School
- Tuesday, June 18: District 5 meeting at Paxon School for Advanced Studies
- Thursday, June 20: District 1 at Terry Parker High School
School Board Chair Darryl Willie said Tuesday that the meetings show the board’s commitment to hearing from the public on the issue.
“It just goes to show folks really show a lot of care and attention to their school and their options, and I think it’s really important that -- yes, we have to make tough and critical decisions, but we also want to listen and balance all of that,” Willie said.
MORE: School Board announces two finalists for Duval County superintendent
At the beginning of the meeting Tuesday, Willie noted that potential school closures and consolidations are still in the early stages.
RELATED: DCPS says changing middle school schedules saved 70 positions of 700 district will have to cut
Some at the meeting were also there to speak about the district’s recent announcement that it would cut 700 positions due to dwindling enrollment and the end of COVID-19 funding.