Six public forums remain for families to learn more about the Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) Master Facility Plan (MFP) proposal, ask questions and share feedback.
In a May 17 interview, DCPS Board Chairman Darryl Willie said the board hopes these forums will see a “critical mass” of attendance.
“We hope that we’ll get a critical mass of folks there [at the forums] to not only listen but help us to kind of get a sense of how we move forward in the process,” he said. “This early on, as we’ve mentioned a number of times, this is the very beginning of the conversation to help iterate on the plan.”
Willie stressed that, at this time, no decision has been made regarding the MFP. He said the board is in the process of establishing the “matrix, [or] a rubric, so to speak” through which it can “filter every decision.”
The first public forum for the MFP proposal was held on Tuesday, May 21 at Fletcher High School. The remaining six forums are scheduled as follows:
- June 10: District Administration Building (1701 Prudential Dr.)
- June 11: Stanton College Preparatory School (1149 W. 13th St.)
- June 13: Edward H. White High School (1700 Old Middleburg Rd. N.)
- June 17: Atlantic Coast High School (9735 R.G. Skinner Pkwy.)
- June 18: Paxon School for Advanced Studies (3239 Norman E. Thagard Blvd.)
- June 20: Terry Parker High School (7301 Parker School Rd.)
Doors open for these forums at 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute reception for guests to review the feeder patterns and ask questions. The formal meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Those wishing to speak during public comment should have their speaker cards submitted by 6 p.m.
Upcoming DCPS Board Election
The pre-qualifying period for this fall’s election for four DCPS Board seats (districts 1, 3, 5 and 7) has begun. A current list of active candidates for these four seats can be found at https://www.duvalelections.com/Candidates-And-Committees/Candidate/Committee-Lists-Reports-Profiles.
The primary election for these four seats is Aug. 20 and the general election is Nov. 5. The four-year terms will begin Nov. 19.
New Superintendent Selected
DCPS selected Christopher Bernier as its new superintendent May 23.
Bernier and Daniel Smith were announced as the two finalists from a pool of six semifinalists on May 7. Bernier’s experience includes, most recently, Lee County School superintendent, chief of staff for Clark County Schools in Las Vegas, and Orange County Public Schools associate superintendent in Florida, among others.
Bernier will replace Dana Kriznar as superintendent beginning July 1.
