JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The St. Johns River will keep one of its long-time neighbors, at least for now.
The Duval County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night against selling its Southbank headquarters and buying another building in the Baymeadows area.
The board rejected both proposals in separate 7-0 votes after discussing concerns about the structure of the potential sale.
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Board member Cindy Pearson opposed the sale ahead of the vote, saying the payment terms didn’t make financial sense.
Under the proposed deal, the district would have sold the headquarters for $20 million, but would have received only $12.5 million immediately. The remaining funds would have been paid on the third anniversary of the sale’s closing date.
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The buyer, the nonprofit Fleet Landing, operates retirement communities in the area.
One of the issues Pearson raised was that, as a nonprofit, Fleet Landing would not pay taxes on the property to the city.
Following the vote against selling the riverfront property, the board also rejected the purchase of a Baymeadows-area building that had been proposed as a new district headquarters. Speakers during the public comment period urged the board to keep operations on the Southbank.
News4JAX spoke with people in the community about what happened.
Most people we talked with either didn’t know about the proposals or didn’t want to speak about them.
But we found two women who had opinions.
“It needs to stay where it belongs,” one woman said in response to wanting it to stay on the Southbank.
Another woman, however, liked the idea of the headquarters moving to the Baymeadows area.
“That’s very close to me,” Amanda said. “So that would be more convenient.”
News4JAX also reached out to all seven board members to learn what comes next. Two answered our call.
Board member Melody Bolduc said that last night the board requested that any future offers received by staff or the superintendent be brought before the board for review.
Board Chair Charlotte Joyce said she could not confirm next steps but expected the superintendent to begin discussing options.
When we reached out to the district, asking what the next steps will be, they referred us to a statement they sent Tuesday night.
“The Duval County Public Schools Board has voted against relocating the administrative headquarters from its current Southbank location. The decision follows extensive discussions, including a workshop held on September 17, 2025, and reflects the board’s commitment to incorporating community input and ensuring the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
The decision affects administrative planning only and has no impact on classroom instruction, student transportation, or parent-facing services. All current locations, including the Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership at 4019 Boulevard Center Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207, will continue as is.
The district will continue to explore other strategies to achieve cost savings and operational improvements. Transparency remains a priority, and we thank the community for their engagement.
“We appreciate the thoughtful input that shaped this outcome,” said Dr. Christopher Bernier, Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools. “We will continue to provide updates through our channels as we explore alternative relocation options.”
Duval County Public Schools