JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Student safety is top of mind for Duval County Public School leaders, with the roadways around Englewood Elementary School a particular area of concern.
RELATED: ‘Be Safe, Be Seen:’ JSO steps up patrol after more than 40 DCPS students hit by cars last year
“We’ve done a cross-reference with the high injury network with our partners at City of Jacksonville, the TPO, North Florida TPO, and really looked at areas of incidents in our county and specifically cross-referenced with our schools,” Heather Albritton, the Health & PE director for Duval County Public Schools said Thursday. “Englewood Elementary is on that list.”
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Thursday morning, educators at Englewood Elementary, students, and even district leaders all participated in a “Be Safe, Be Seen” walk with students, practicing how to safely cross area roads.
This comes just over a week after Action News Jax told viewers about the death of 13-year-old Southside Middle School student Genesis Webber, who was hit by a car on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Andre Myers, 54, was arrested in connection with her death on Thursday, Oct. 2.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Action News Jax also reported on the dangerous start to the 2025-2026 school year, with multiple students hit by cars in just the first two weeks.
“It’s a bigger problem than just Duval County Public Schools, it’s a Duval County problem,” Englewood principal Hope Teper highlighted. “We have drivers that are distracted, drivers that are not following speeding regulations, so our students are being hit.”
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Teper and DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said Thursday morning they’ll continue to push the message of roadway safety, both inside the classroom and district-wide.
“We’ve already lost two students already, that’s two too many, and as a community we have to come together and protect our children,” Bernier said.
Educators are also now stressing the importance of parents having important conversations with their children about how to stay safe and be aware.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
