JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County School Board members spent ti discuss a potential update to the Master Facility Plan proposal that could include schools staying open.
Two parents said they’re happy some schools on the proposed closure list could be taken off, but they’re still concerned about the ones that are slated to close.
“There’s still more work to be done, but it is moving in the right direction, which we weren’t sure we were getting there initially. We had doubts that we were being heard, and some of us felt like we were getting through so that is positive,” Emily McCarthy, an Atlantic Beach Elementary parent, said.
After months of parents fighting for their neighborhood schools, we’re finally getting a look at ideas to change the Master Facility Plan proposal that was presented to the school board in March.
Parents in a focus group for the Master Facility Plan got to look at an “MFP Idea Update” several weeks ago. It shows unchanged feeder patterns for Atlantic Coast High School, Englewood High School, and Mandarin High School.
But the Fletcher High School feeder pattern shows Atlantic Beach Elementary School staying open and Seabreeze Elementary School getting a new build.
However, Mayport Elementary and Anchor Academy would consolidate into a K-8. McCarthy sits on the parent focus group for the Master Facility Plan, and she said there are conflicting emotions about the new idea.
“We’ve learned a lot about what’s great about every school and unique, we’ve all had conversations and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to advocate for our schools.’ That’s our main goal, and where we can help each other out, we will, and that continues,” McCarthy said.
Caitlin Armstrong, a parent at Ruth N. Upson Elementary, also sits on the parent focus group.
The original proposal from March showed Fishweir Elementary consolidating into Ruth N. Upson Elementary.
The new “idea” shows Fishweir staying open and Ramona Elementary consolidating into Upson instead.
Armstrong is concerned that Ramona could be added to the proposal at this point.
“I don’t feel like we’re given enough time even to be considered for closure, because the ones that got taken off the list had all summer, and now they’re being considered for these, for this new list,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong is concerned that if Ramona consolidates into Upson, Ramona students would have to deal with busy traffic to walk to school.
She’s also concerned that Upson would lose the small class sizes they sought out.
“They have around 20 kids per class, and they have an amazing support staff of paras, full-time subs that are dedicated to those students,” Armstrong said. “So I guess our concern with absorbing another school is those class sizes and what’s going to happen to them.”
DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier talked to News4JAX about potential school closures and consolidation.
“We’ve been working with the community around that particular issue, and they’ve given us great things to consider,” Bernier said. “One is about school grades, school performance, but really, I think the most important factor is we have to make a decision that’s in the best interest of the school district, financially, and in the best interest of our children educationally, and that’s going to have to strike a balance.”
The school board will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. to have a workshop about the community engagement process for the Master Facility Plan.
It is expected that the ideas for the proposal will be discussed during the meeting.