School board considers revised facility plan

Latest plan keeps Fishweir, Stockton schools open, but more revisions are expected

By Michele Leivas

Fishweir and John Stockton elementary schools would remain open under a revised Master Facility Plan (MFP) proposal, but further revisions to the Duval County Public Schools plan are expected.

Presented at an Aug. 15 school board workshop, the revised MFP removed several neighborhood schools from the list of potential closures while adding three new ones to the chopping block. In addition to Fishweir and Stockton, West Riverside, Atlantic Beach, Seabreeze, Holiday Hills, Thomas Jefferson and San Mateo schools would remain open in the revised plan. Ed White High School, Ramona Boulevard and Whitehouse Elementary were added to the closure list, which still includes Ortega Elementary.

The revised list of potential school closures resulted in significant changes to the feeder patterns of some schools while others remained unchanged.

School Board Chair Darryl Willie emphasized to board members that further revisions are anticipated before the board votes on the final Master Facility Plan. The current timeline calls for a revised MFP proposal to be presented to the school board Sept. 17, with a final vote occurring at its Oct. 1 meeting.

“We do have some tough decisions to make,” Willie said following the meeting. “But I believe this board is ready to get into it and really dive into how we create the best environment for students academically but also create the most efficient environment financially for our district.”

Bridging the budget gap

Fiscal responsibility remains a top priority, DCPS officials say. Assistant Superintendent Cory Wright said the new proposed feeder patterns would reduce the $1.4 billion budget deficit down to roughly $1 billion. But that’s not enough, new Superintendent Dr. Charles Bernier acknowledged.

“$400 million is a lot of savings, but we’re still a long way off,” Bernier said.

Willie said he believed the board would be able to whittle down that gap, though he doubted the board would be able to bridge it completely.

“I don’t think we’ll get all the way down to save $1.4 billion, but also things may change in the next three years, five years, seven years, so you can’t anticipate everything,” he said. “We’re going to do our best to look at right now and forecast as best as possible.

‘Stunning’ disparity

While signifying tentative victories for some school communities, the new feeder patterns raised equitability concerns for some board members representing other districts. Board Member Dr. Kelly Coker expressed frustration that while an A-rated school at the beach was saved – Atlantic Beach Elementary – Arlington’s A-rated Lake Lucinda Elementary School remains on the closure list. She said a less vocal community response to a particular school closure should not have a negative impact on that school’s future.

“We need to ensure that every school gets represented in a way that makes sense,” Coker said. “If their voices aren’t as loud, the district leadership has to watch and make sure that those things are pointed out, because there’s disparity in this report that’s stunning.”

Stockton parent Lauren Agresti said the work is not over for the advocacy group that has labored to remove Stockton Elementary from the closure list. Agresti said the advocacy group would like to see that school renovations included in an earlier MFP – a new brick-and-mortar wing to replace Stockton’s portable classrooms – are included in any future plans.

“We want to send a message to the community that Stockton is not in a vulnerable position and that we’ll be here for a long time to come,” Agresti said. “So, we need to ensure that, by making sure that the proposed wing that was going to replace the portables comes to fruition.”

Middle school misgivings

While the focus has been primarily on the elementary schools within the school feeder patterns, a conversation has also emerged on the drop in enrollment the public school district has seen during the transition from elementary to middle school – particularly in Riverside High School’s feeder pattern from the elementary schools to Lake Shore Middle School. Since 2016, that school has earned a C or D rating from the Florida Department of Education.

School Board Vice Chair Charlotte Joyce said a lack of performance and long-standing disciplinary and safety concerns are causing parents to consider alternate choices for middle school when their children graduate from DCPS elementary schools.

“[Parents] are not sending their children to a school where they have to worry about the discipline issues and the safety of their kids,” Joyce said.

Stockton parent Agresti said the conversation surrounding Lake Shore was an accurate reflection of what families like hers are considering as their children approach middle school age.

“It definitely is a major concern for a lot of families in our community,” she said. “We do have a great magnet program…but it is a concern, and it would be a great alternative to have a middle school option closer by that wasn’t on the other side of town.”

School Board Member April Carney requested data on schools that could accommodate a sixth grade in a K-6 model, which she said would help address enrollment numbers for elementary schools and also give rising sixth graders an extra year in an elementary school setting before transferring to a middle school.