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As Budgets Decrease, Need for Public's Help Increases
We are all being directly impacted by the state of our economy, and I am sensitive to the financial stresses many of you are experiencing.
Duval County Public Schools is also facing a severe reduction in revenue from the State. When the budget was prepared for the current year, it was anticipated that a two percent reduction might occur, but now because of further loss in revenue this shortfall is being projected to be between 4 and 8 percent. The state revenue projections for our 2009/2010 budget leave us with a shortfall that could be as much as $139 million.
As a school district, we must be fiscally responsible and have a balanced budget. We cannot absorb this amount, especially with the class size reduction amendment limiting how many students can be placed in a classroom. Years ago, during tough financial times, we would have been able to add a few students to each class to cut costs. We do not expect to have the opportunity to do this based on the constitutional amendment limiting class sizes.
It is our priority to ensure that we have as minimal an impact on the classroom as possible, but it is unrealistic to think students will not be affected in some way. Potential budget reduction strategies include, but are not limited to, the following: closing schools and changing boundaries; changing middle and high school schedules; limiting transportation, particularly for magnet programs; and increasing the walk zone to schools from 1.5 miles to 2. Essentially, anything other than our teachers and classrooms will come under scrutiny for possible cuts.
We are in the process of compiling a prioritized list of potential cuts, and will be distributing this information to our schools, staff and School Board, as well as the community. We need your help to engage our governor and legislature to minimize the cuts to public education as much as possible.
Student achievement remains our highest priority, and we will continue to do everything we can to save revenue, while keeping our focus on the classroom, but we need your help. With our district operating on a minimized budget, your continued support will be more valuable than ever.
Thank you for all that you do and best wishes for a happy holiday season. Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent
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Superintendent Pratt-Dannals recently delivered his tentative recommendations to the School Board regarding district boundary adjustments and school consolidations. Below is a schedule of December
and January meetings. Parents and community members are encouraged to attend
to gather information, and provide feedback regarding the recommendations. Once meetings are complete, a public hearing will be held on January
13, 2009 and final recommendations will be voted on by the School Board during the February 3 meeting.
All meetings are at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, December 11 – Consolidation of West Jacksonville Elementary into S.P. Livingston Elementary.
Meeting Location: S.P. Livingston Elementary.
- Tuesday, December 16 - Boundary adjustment for Bayview, Ortega, John Stockton, and Venetia elementary schools.
Meeting Location: John Stockton Elementary.
- Wednesday, December 17 – Establish boundary for new K-8 @103rd & Connie Jean Road, with boundary adjustment for Gregory Drive and Enterprise elementary schools, and possibly Jacksonville Heights Elementary. Meeting Location: Gregory Drive Elementary.
- Tuesday, January 13 – Public hearing regarding boundary changes and consolidation. Meeting Location: DCPS Administration Building, 1701 Prudential Drive.
For more information, visit the ACE Facilities Web site.
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 HandsOn Jacksonville, together with business and community sponsors, visited several Duval County elementary schools on December 5 for its annual "A Visit from St. Nicholas Literacy Project."
Nearly 9,000 students from 17 schools arrived at school to find their doors and hallways covered in gold tinsel, and backpacks full of books and toys at their desks.
 Volunteers from the businesses and community organizations visited each school to read the story of Saint Nicholas to students and talk to them about giving. A real St. Nick visited all the classrooms and encouraged students to be kind to others and take time to read.
The same volunteers who visited with students on December 5 also spent time beforehand preparing for the event. They participated in a Book Wrapping Party, where they wrapped and labeled approximately 27,000 books, and then also a Backpacking Party to fill nearly 5,000 backpacks with educational toys and new books. On the evening of December 4, volunteers visited their chosen school to decorate the hallways and classrooms.
To learn more about this literacy project, read the
entire article.
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Governor Charlie Crist and Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith recently announced that Duval County's graduation rate rose to 65.9 percentage points, nearly two percentage points over last year. Meanwhile, Duval County's high school dropout rate declined from last year, dropping nearly 2 percentage points to 3.3 percent.
"I am encouraged by the continued progress we are seeing in our graduation rate," said Superintendent Pratt-Dannals. "Our teachers, faculty and staff remain focused on improving our graduation rate and decreasing the dropout rate through the safety nets our school district has implemented to help all of our students."
Duval County's graduation rate is an increase of 1.6 percentage points compared to last year and 7.2 percentage points since 1998/1999. The current dropout rate is a decrease of 1.9 percentage points compared to last year’s rate, and a decrease of 5.3 percentage points since 1998/1999.
The graduation rate in Florida is the highest it has been since the state employed new, more accurate data collection methods during the 1998-99 school year. Florida's annual high school dropout rate also dropped to its lowest point ever.
Want more information? Read the entire article here.
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 The Guild of the Jacksonville Symphony Association visited Greenfield Elementary on November 6 to present its Instrument Zoo program.
The Instrument Zoo provides students with an exposure to and appreciation of orchestral music. During the event, fourth and fifth graders were able to learn about and play all the instruments used in an orchestra.
Instruments were divided into their four families – strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Members of the Guild, as well as parent volunteers who play instruments, were on hand to discuss each one.
Guild members Carol Fryer, Leslie Post and Nancy Salter, who have volunteered much of their time at schools with the Instrument Zoo, know how important the program is for students.
“If we want people to appreciate music, we need to expose them to it,” said Fryer (also the wife of former Duval County Public Schools’ Superintended John Fryer). “Touching and playing instruments makes music real.”
“Music offers so much to children and can enrich their educational experiences,” said Post.
 Greenfield’s music teacher Patricia Butterbrodt helped organize the Guild’s visit, and prepared students for the event by teaching them about orchestras and symphonic instruments.
“The Instrument Zoo may be the only chance for elementary students to experience these musical instruments. It opens up a new world to them when they realize they can create music,” said Butterbrodt.
Students will now be asked to write a paper about their experience at the Instrument Zoo, including what they learned and what instruments they liked or disliked.
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Eighth-grade students at James Weldon Johnson College Preparatory Middle School, along with the Language Arts Department, hosted a Renaissance Faire and Elizabethan Feast on November 13.
 The Renaissance Faire was the culminating event for the students’ month-long study of Shakespeare. It gave the students a taste of what Elizabethan celebrations were like during the early 1600's, and was a reward for their hard work and study.
To prepare for the event, students learned the history of how culture was reborn as the world came out of the Middle Ages. They had lessons on the cultural contributions of such Renaissance figures as Machiavelli, DaVinci, King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth and William Shakespeare. All students read and analyzed Romeo and Juliet, and had to memorize and perform their scenes in front of their class. Those judged as having the best performance earned a slot to perform at the faire.
Students dressed up as lords and ladies, kings and queens, and friars and apothecaries. Others acted as dancers, magicians, musicians, jugglers and singers.
The Renaissance Faire provided students with both an academic and dramatical approach to learning: students had to analyze quality literature with a historical approach, while also incorporating three different learning modalities (audio, visual and kinesthetic); and they learned about Renaissance style dance and music, as well as art work from that period. Many students created artwork that was used as scenery to decorate the gym.
The faire was organized by the eighth-grade English teachers Mollie Browning, Maika Williams, Melissa VonDolteren and Jillian Davies.
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In an effort to save money, the
Florida Department of Education is eliminating FCAT summer retake options for secondary students, who will now have fewer opportunities to pass the test before graduation.
The FCAT reading and math will continue to be administered in March to all first-time takers in grades 3-10, students in grades 11 and 12, and also to retained 10th-grade students who have not yet passed the test. The 11th, 12th, and retained 10th graders who have not yet passed also have the opportunity each year to retake the FCAT reading and math in October.
For more information, contact the guidance counselor at your child's school.
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December
10 |
Student Early Release Day |
18-19 |
Make-up Weather Days (schools in
session) |
22-23 |
Winter Holiday (schools closed) |
24-31 |
Winter Break (schools and district offices closed) |
January
1 |
Winter Holiday (schools and district offices closed) |
2 |
Weather Day (schools closed) |
6 |
School Board Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 6 p.m. |
7 |
Student Early Release Day |
13 |
ACE Facilities Public Hearing - DCPS Administration Building, 1701 Prudential Drive, 6 p.m. |
16 |
Teacher Planning Day (no school for
students) |
19 |
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (schools and district offices closed) |
20 |
Duval County Council of PTAs/PTSAs Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 10 a.m. |
21 |
Student Early Release Day |
26 |
District Advisory Council
(DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m. |
DCPS has launched a new portion of its Web site called dcpsTV, bringing district news to you first-hand through the eye of the video camera lens.
Sections include The View From Your School, brief stories on events happening in our schools; the monthly Superintendent's Message, a short video memo from Ed Pratt-Dannals on topical issues; and DCPS on WJCT, the current episodes of the district's two shows on Jacksonville's local PBS station, School Matters and REAL School.
To view the online videos, visit the
dcpsTV Web site
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At its monthly meeting on Dec. 8, the Duval County School Board and Superintendent Pratt-Dannals recognized employees and community members
for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Duval County Public Schools. For a list of all those recognized, please read the news release.
The next School Board meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m.
All are welcome.
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Duval County Public Schools
1701 Prudential Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32207
www.duvalschools.org
Superintendent
Ed Pratt-Dannals
School Board Members
Frequently Called Numbers
Main Line
904-390-2000
Transportation
904-858-6200
Human Resources
904-390-2840
School Board Office
904-390-2293
Community & Family
Engagement
904-390-2960
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Looking for the latest district news? Read our most recent news releases, and visit our
Spotlight on Education section for a detailed look into what is going on
at Duval County Public Schools.
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