JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Parents who wanted to hear directly from Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier about the state of the district and his plans for the future headed to Twin Lakes Academy Middle School on Tuesday night.
Bernier kicked off the first of seven town hall meetings planned at middle schools across the county over the next seven weeks.
It was a mix of feedback at the meeting that focused on student achievement, safety and security, student attendance and the district’s budget.
“This was very candid, very transparent. I’m actually impressed. I was not a supporter of Dr. Bernier, but tonight changed that for me,” Parent Yamsina White said. “Hearing how he was raised, hearing his beliefs in the public education system, reignited a liking for him.”
The meetings come in a period of transition for the district, as it prepares to close five elementary schools at the end of the school year and send those students to other schools:
- Annie R. Morgan Elementary merging into Biltmore Elementary
- Kings Trail Elementary merging into Beauclerc Elementary
- Susie E. Tolbert Elementary merging into S.P. Livingston Elementary
- R.V. Daniels Elementary merging into R.L. Brown Elementary
- Windy Hill Elementary merging into Southside Estates Elementary
Three other schools will close and consolidate into other schools no later than the 2026-2027 school year:
- George Washington Carver Elementary merging into Rufus E. Payne Elementary
- Hidden Oaks Elementary merging into Cedar Hills Elementary
- Don Brewer Elementary merging into Merrill Road Elementary
The district also plans to build several new schools.
Bernier emphasized the topic surrounding the school district’s budget.
“I think the most important thing to tell the community is that there are no additional budget cuts for transportation or school consolidations coming this year when we talk about anything with a school consolidation, school closure, or changes in any type of magnet transportation, those are changes for the 26/27 school year,” Bernier told News4JAX.
Bernier opened the floor to the audience, where he heard feedback that included needing better transitions for students from elementary to middle school, teacher recognition and marketing woes.
He also asked the audience what keeps them up at night. White answered, “I know that my kids are going to be okay. I worry about other kids that don’t have that support. I worry about the board members that we have right now and the decisions they make, and whether they’re going to make decisions for all children every day. And I worry about this just a state of public education.”
Ultimately, Bernier plans to gather input from the meetings on what’s working well in the district and where improvements can be made.
“We want to make sure we’re capturing that information lots of different ways. We’ll look for common themes in areas where we can improve, and then we’ll adjust that for not only my work but for potential inclusion into the developing new strategic plan,” Bernier said.
The dates and locations for the remaining meetings are listed below (all events run from 6-7:30 p.m.):
- Dec. 12 - James Weldon Johnson Middle School - 3276 Norman E. Thagard Boulevard, 32254
- Dec. 17 - Alfred I. duPont Middle School - 2710 duPont Avenue, 32217
- Jan. 14 - Kernan Middle School - 2271 Kernan Boulevard South, 32246
- Jan. 16 - Highlands Middle School - 10913 Pine Estates Road East, 32218
- Jan. 21 - Chaffee Trail Middle School - 11770 Sam Caruso Way, 32221
- Jan. 23 - Arlington Middle School - 8141 Lone Start Road, 32211
The town halls are open to the public and no registration is required.