As students in Duval County returned to schools on Monday, more than two dozen schools still face the risk of shutting down or merging.
It’s part of the district’s Master Facility Plan to make up for a more than $1.4 billion budget shortfall.Highlands Estates Academy is one of the district’s two new schools that welcomed students for the first time on Monday. Highlands and Pine Estates elementary schools merged to create the school.
This type of merger is something the county could see more of in the district’s Master Facility Plan. The district’s master facility plan proposes closing nearly 30 Duval County Public Schools to make up for a $1.4 billion gap in its budget. This would eliminate a handful of magnet schools which could save the district close to $77 million.During those meetings, teachers, parents, and students raised concerns about how the merger could increase commute times, classroom sizes, and leave students without a sense of community.
“Elementary schools should not be like Walmart superstores,” one person said. “It shouldn’t be so large and impersonal that you can’t find what you’re looking for, and the customer service is always lacking.”Records show more students are attending private and charter schools and over the last 10 years the district lost 30,000 students.Outside of the merger, the district is also looking to cut more than 700 positions - because of dwindling enrollment and the loss of COVID-19 relief funds.
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