DCPS votes to consolidate multiple schools in revised Master Facilities Plan

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Duval County School Board held a final vote Monday night on revisions to the Master Facilities Plan that call for the closure and consolidation of several schools in the district.

RELATED: Coverage of the changing DCPS Master Facility Plan

The five-year plan would impact nearly all students in the district, from the six elementary schools that will close to the six elementary schools that will accommodate those students:

1. Annie R. Morgan students at Biltmore – Approved

2. Kings Trail students to Beauclerc – Approved

3. Don Brewer students to Merrill Road – Delayed merger until 2026. Board left it open to both schools.

4. Susie Tolbert students in SP Livingston – Approved

5. George Washington Carver students in Rufus E. Payne Delayed merger until 2026. Board left it open to both schools.

6. Hidden Oaks students to Cedar Hills Delayed merger until 2026. Board left it open to both schools.

The board voted unanimously on four of the six consolidations. The remaining two passed 6-1, with Board Chairman Darryl Willie voting no both times.

The revised MFP would also have moved the Bridge to Success programs currently held at St. Claire Evans Elementary and Henry Kite Elementary to Eugene Butler Middle School. The Young Men's and Women's Leadership Academy programs currently at Butler Middle would also have been closed. However, the board has removed these items from the agenda and will not be discussed in the foreseeable future.

RELATED: Students and parents are demanding that the Young Men's and Women's Leadership Academy remain open despite the proposed DCPS plan

The school board previously approved the consolidation of RV Daniels Elementary School into RL Brown Elementary School and Windy Hill Elementary School into Southside Estates Elementary School.

A recent post on the DCPS website explains the difference between the MFP, which focuses primarily on construction and capital projects funded by the half-penny sales tax, and the five-year capital plan, which is reviewed annually by the board.

Both determine long-term facility planning in the district, including the closure of schools and the decision to build new facilities.

However, the Five-Year Capital Plan identifies all projects and purchases funded by the District's normal capital real estate production and other capital financing sources, as well as MFP projects.

The MFP considers select projects and expected sequencing over a 15-year period, and next year's projects will be added to the five-year plan on a rolling basis, DCPS said.

According to the district, the overall goal of the plan is to reduce operating costs by reducing the number of schools.

The district's master facilities plan is part of a larger effort to close a $1.4 billion budget gap.

The district's severe budget constraints are due to increased construction costs following the pandemic, increased revenue-sharing requirements with charter schools and declining school enrollment. Over the past 10 years, the district has lost 30,000 students.

The county says the changes will also make better use of money provided by the county's half-cent sales tax.

News4JAX's analysis found that the majority of students who would be affected by these proposed consolidations are disproportionately minority and economically disadvantaged.

Looking into the future

According to the DCPS website, possible future consolidations include:

1. 2026-27: Hyde Grove K-2 to Hyde Park Elementary

2. 2026-27: Long Branch Elementary to RL Brown Elementary

3. 2026-27: Anchor Academy at Mayport Elementary

4. 2026-27: Joseph Stilwell Middle moves to Ed White, becoming an elementary school for grades 6-12

5. 2027-28: Love Grove Elementary splits into a new school at Hogan Spring-Glen Elementary or Spring Park Elementary in 2027-28.

6. 2027–28: Englewood Elementary splits into a new school: Hogan Spring-Glen Elementary or Spring Park Elementary.

7. 2027-28: SA Hull Elementary moves to a new school at Pickett Elementary

8. 2027-28: Reynolds Lane Elementary moves to a new school at Pickett Elementary

9. 2029-30: Whitehouse Elementary to Thomas Jefferson Elementary

10. 2029–30: Gregory Drive Elementary becomes Charger Academy, which becomes an elementary school

11. 2029-30: Normandy Village Elementary, to Charger Academy, which becomes an elementary school

12. 2030-31: Ortega Elementary moves into a new school at Venetia Elementary

13. Between 2029 and 2034: Arlington Elementary will be consolidated into several area schools due to boundary changes in the area.

14. Between 2029 and 2034: Arlington Heights Elementary will be consolidated into several area schools due to boundary changes in the area.

In 2025, the district will begin the multi-stage community process to consider possible consolidations for 2026-27.

New school buildings

The district made a commitment to the community to replace some of the district's oldest and most dilapidated schools. Although the list of planned new schools is smaller, the new plan still calls for the following complete school conversions:

1. Southside Estates Elementary (under construction; opening school year 2025–26)

2. Ribault High (under construction; opening school year 2025–26)

3. Baldwin 6-12 (Project begins in 2026. No completion date set.)

4. Spring Park Elementary (opening school year 2027–28)

5. Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary (opening school year 2027-28)

6. Pickett Elementary (opening school year 2027–28)

7. Venetia Elementary (opening school year 2030-2031)

8. Raines High (project expected in 2029-2034)

9. Lake Lucina Elementary (project expected in 2029-2034)

10. Westside High (project expected in 2029-2034)

Schools that will not be rebuilt

Due to changes in costs and revenues since the original MFP was approved in 2019, some new schools planned in the original plan are no longer included in the current plan. Listed below are new school or school renovation projects that are no longer planned under the current half-penny sales tax.

1. Beauclerc Elementary School

2. Eugene Butler

3. George Washington Carver Elementary (Graduation)

4. Englewood Elementary (graduation)

5. Garden City Elementary School

6. Holiday Hill Elementary School

7. Kings Trail Elementary (closed)

8. Smart Pope Livingston Primary School

9. Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School

10. Reynolds Lane Elementary (closed)

11. San Jose Elementary School

12. San Mateo Elementary School

13. Seabreeze Elementary School

14. Louis Sheffield Primary School

15. Whitehouse Elementary (graduation)

16. Windy Hill Elementary School

The schools listed above that are not closing will receive funding to address deferred maintenance. Windy Hill will undergo major renovations and serve as a center for students with special needs.

Louis Sheffield, Garden City, Seabreeze and a new K-8 school in the southeast sector of Jacksonville plan to receive new schools over the 11 to 15 year period, but there is currently no source of funding for these projects.

The district said that as consolidations and enrollment shifts occur, the district may evaluate the need for boundary changes in the future to balance and optimize enrollment.

For further details, see the full MFP and five-year capital plan from the October 1 board agenda.