JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The effort to move Duval County Public Schools headquarters could pick up speed very soon. School board members are set to vote Tuesday on whether to allow superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier to begin contract negotiations on its new proposed location in Baymeadows.
“I worked on what I think is the most equitable and best deal for the district in comparison to some of the other deals they’ve considered in the past,” Dr. Bernier told Action News Jax.
Now, school leaders are looking to educate the public about the impending move, answering many of the community’s questions in an FAQ posted to the school website.
In the FAQ, the district explains its reasoning for the move from Jacksonville’s urban core to Baymeadows: “to cut costs and modernize.”
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Following a competitive bid process, the district is opting for a $20 million offer from Fleet Landing for its south bank headquarters property. The district also plans to purchase office space on Prominence Parkway in Baymeadows from Dream Finders Homes for $14 million. The district hopes these deals will help it tackle a 1.4 billion dollar capital budget shortfall in the master facility plan and redirect savings to schools.
However, community leaders and parent advocates have been critical about the move, possibly blocking parents from easy access to district services.
“I would have rathered them stayed somewhere more central,” community and parental advocate Yasmina White told Action News Jax. “Accessibility is the number one priority. Having families come to central services for whatever they need is paramount.”
However, district leaders in Monday’s FAQ addressed these concerns, saying they will continue parent-facing services at the centrally located parent resource center.
The district also said the move will clear up more space to support downtown revitalization through residential and mixed-use projects. Fleet Landing is proposing a retirement community for the DCPS property along the south bank of the St. Johns.
The board is set to vote on Superintendent Bernier’s beginning contract negotiations on Tuesday, with final approval of the contract to be voted on October 7th.
Read the full FAQ on the relocation plans here.
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