JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County school leaders met Tuesday morning to discuss the possible consolidation of two schools, Anchor Academy and Mayport Elementary, and later in the day to discuss two more: R.L Brown Gifted and Talented Academy and Long Branch Elementary
Tuesday’s meeting was a discussion between the School Board—no final decisions were made. The plan is part of a larger effort to balance enrollment and make better use of resources.
During the meeting, School Board members brought up several concerns about the potential school mergers, including making sure students don’t lose staff at their schools. They also said they are reviewing the staffing allocation model to see which schools will get more or fewer staff down the line.
Leaders also said DCPS is working on a timeline to notify families so everyone understands the changes down the line once they’re made.
Families from both schools have voiced their concerns about the potential consolidation, saying they’re worried about what this could mean for their children and their community.
“A lot of people on base have been just talking like, we’re gonna close, we’re going to close, we’re a small school, we are gonna close because all the schools are becoming so big. It’s been hard not knowing. We weren’t ready to move yet, like being stationed somewhere else. So having that ripped from our kids when this has been our constant is very unfortunate. They thrive here, this is their structure,” Emily Macis, an Anchor Academy parent, said.
Dana Arendt, a parent and substitute teacher at Mayport Elementary, has been involved in the working group discussing the consolidation.
“It really is just a big military community, military family. I am hoping that whatever ends up happening, we can come together and make the best of the situation because the situation is unfortunate,” Arendt said.
Additionally, R.L. Brown has already undergone one consolidation in the past year. Now, Duval County Schools is considering a second consolidation, this time with Long Branch Elementary.
Community members and local leaders have voiced concerns about the potential move.
District 10 Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman said, “It would be a travesty if that school closed.”
Residents like April Hall-Lloyd also shared their worries directly with Duval County Schools about consolidating Long Branch Elementary into R.L. Brown.
Hall-Lloyd questioned the effectiveness of consolidation.
“These schools have educated some of the most successful people that we could ever imagine. Why get rid of them? Why consolidate them? It hasn’t worked. So why now? And then if it doesn’t, what are we gonna do next? Just keep, you know, keep trying and trying and trying at the expense of our children and families.”
Councilwoman Pittman expressed concern that several schools in her district have been closed, disproportionately affecting the Black community.
She said, “I mean, we just have to call a thing a thing. Why does it always have to be in the Black community?”
Pittman added, “We want the superintendent to really think about what is happening in the communities that are losing schools. We shouldn’t have a closure.”
District 5 Board Member Reginald Blount addressed the concerns about consolidation.
When asked about the effectiveness of consolidation, Blount said, “Some people are saying that consolidation doesn’t work, and it will appear that it doesn’t work because if you have a school that needs seven hundred and we only have five hundred, the question is, is it gonna work? Is it working? What I can say is we have to put children in seats.”
For more than a year, News4JAX has been reporting on DCPS’ consolidation plans as the district works to close a $1.4 billion budget gap.
District leaders said the goals behind consolidation are to address enrollment imbalances and reduce operating costs across the district.
Last year, the board unanimously voted to merge four schools with others.
The board will not make a final decision until Dec.1.