JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Monday marked the first day of school for most students across Northeast Florida.
Tens of thousands of kids headed back to class and that means a big change in routines and traffic.
The following school districts begin on Monday: Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Flagler, Putnam and Union counties. Clay County students get an extra day of summer and go back on Tuesday.
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“It’s an exciting day when students get to return back to the classroom, our faculty and staff comes back. It’s just an amazing day, little sleepless last night, but an amazing day,” said new DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier on Monday morning. “First and foremost, we’re under a Heat Advisory. Make sure you send your children with a bottle of water or one of their water containers. Please make sure they have fluids to drink. To our community, school. We’ve got 100,000 students about to move about our community. Stay off the cell phones. Stay alert behind the wheel and be looking for kids, because they’re not always looking for you.”
High temperatures will be in the 90s, but “feels like temps” will be in the triple digits and may reach 112 degrees in some spots.
School bus delays are also possible on the first day. You can keep track of delays on the DCPS website.
New Duval Schools
In Duval County, two new schools opened for the first time on Monday.
Highlands Estates Academy and Chafee Trail Middle School were both funded using the half-cent sales tax that was approved by voters in 2020.
That money has gone towards improving schools, building new ones, and ramping up security at existing schools.
A total of 104 projects that have already been completed with the money.
Highlands Estates Academy consolidates two elementary schools, Highlands Elementary and Pine Estates Elementary.
Highlands Estates was the third elementary school to be built using the half-penny sales tax.
It’s more than 120,000 square feet and holds about 750 students.
The total cost for the project was $53 million.
The district was able to save three of the campus’ original buildings and incorporate them into the new school.
“This building signifies a great sense of hope,” Bernier said. “But I heard it the other night, working conditions, are learning conditions. Learning conditions are working conditions, and our children and our staff now have a first-class learning facility.”
On the Westside, Chaffee Trail Middle School will also welcome students for the first time today.
It was the first middle school built and funded by the half-penny sales tax. It holds over 1,100 students.
This school will pull students from both Baldwin Middle-Senior High and Charger Academy.
“It’s pretty awesome because you know its promising,” said parent Michael Mas.
“I really like that they designed almost every part of the walls of the school, it’s really cool. It’s really nice and designed, and I like the fact that they made a lot of promises here,” said 6th grader Dylan Lozada Morales.
As for other Duval County school projects funded by the sales tax, 25 are currently in construction and six are still in the design phase.
Students head back to school in St. Johns County
Safety and traffic are top of mind in St. Johns County as students head back to school.
“Patience and planning are paramount during the first days, sometimes weeks, of school,” Dr. Brennan Asplen, Deputy Superintendent for the St. Johns County School District, said. “Students will arrive to Trout Creek Academy as car and bus riders, walkers, and bikers.”
The newly built Trout Creek Academy, located at 855 Timberwolf Trail St. Augustine, will welcome its inaugural class to campus on Monday. Drivers traveling in the vicinity of Trout Creek Academy on County Road 16A and Timberwolf Trail will notice new signs and flashing beacons installed by St. Johns County Public Works. This is the newly installed intersection conflict warning system, and it’s the first warning system of its kind on St. Johns County roads. The St. Johns County Office of Public Affairs produced a video to highlight this new safety feature.
This new warning system uses radar to detect vehicles on Timberwolf Trail that are approaching CR 16A. When a vehicle is detected on Timberwolf Trail, the system will activate flashing yellow warning beacons on CR 16A. This will prompt drivers on CR 16A to slow down and watch for vehicles coming out of Timberwolf Trail. On Timberwolf Trail, the stop sign has a 24-hour continuous flashing beacon to remind drivers to come to a complete stop before entering onto CR16A. Drivers on CR 16A will also be alerted by the newly installed oversized signs that read, “VEHICLE ENTERING HIGHWAY WHEN FLASHING.”
“Public safety is our top priority,” St. Johns County Public Works Director Greg Caldwell said. “The newly installed vehicle detection system will help promote more cautious driving and elevated awareness in this area.”
“The overall safety of students, staff, and visitors at our schools is a priority for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO), and traffic safety is a major component,” Sheriff Rob Hardwick said. “Plan for the usual delays that come with the first few weeks of school as families are establishing their routines, and we are evaluating the traffic flow at new locations to determine if additional resources are needed. In addition to the increase in traditional vehicle traffic, there will be an influx of school buses, pedestrians, bicycles, and golf carts on our roadways, and it’s important to understand the related laws and regulations. SJSO resources will be in full force, and we look forward to a safe and productive school year.”