SCHOOLS REOPENING UPDATE - Duval County Public Schools will be open and fully operational tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 23. The weather is expected to be very cold for the remainder of the week. Parents and guardians are encouraged to ensure students are dressed in winter wear appropriate for the conditions. We look forward to seeing everyone back in school tomorrow!
SCHOOL CLOSURE UPDATE - Given the possibility for unsafe conditions, Duval County Public Schools and district offices will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22. In addition, all athletics and after-school activities scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 22 will be canceled.
All regularly scheduled athletic and extracurricular activities taking place today, Jan. 21, will continue as planned. We will continue to share updates regarding the reopening of schools through direct emails, our website, our app, and our social media.
Congratulations to Vincent Taylor, a math interventionist at Cedar Hills Elementary School and author of the popular “Cornbread” series of children’s books, who was named the 2025 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year at the 34th Annual EDDY Awards Saturday, January 18th.
High School Students: 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc., is hosting a free scholarship fair on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Jesse Ball duPont Center, 40 W. Adams St. Get all the information at: https://100blackmenjax.org/january-is-national-mentoring-month-copy/
Please join us for our Middle/High School Showcase Saturday event on Saturday, Jan. 11. All district middle and high schools will be open for families to meet school leaders and educators and tour the campuses. Tours at each school will begin at 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. This event will help families make informed decisions as they consider educational options for their child. Learn more by visiting the School Showcase Saturday webpage: https://dcps.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/showcase
Congratulations to Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts and its Quiz Bowl team for a first-place finish at the Big Bend Bowl at Florida State University! Winning team members Emmanuel Abay, Tyler McDonald, and Seth Van Deusen now qualify for the National Academic Quiz Tournament (NAQT) National Championship in May. According to NAQT, Quiz Bowl allows teams to go head-to-head answering questions from subjects such as science, popular culture, literature, history, and more. Quiz Bowl Coach Jeff Casner shares that Abay, McDonald, and Van Deusen’s impressive win involved competing against over a dozen teams from Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. Bravo!
Shout out to Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School! Students are applying educational concepts to learn how to grow food in their own community garden, as well as give back to those in need. Students across all grade levels are receiving hands-on lessons on how to grow crops through the school’s Agricultural Science class and with help from volunteers with BEAM (Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry). Principal Aaron Lakatos shares that through a $100,000 USDA Farm-to-School Grant, the school will provide crops to the local food pantry. In fact, students recently harvested and provided broccoli to BEAM. This is especially valuable in the Mayport community, which is considered a “food desert” due to the limited number of grocery stores in the area. Awesome work!
Congratulations to Kynlei Gibbs, a ninth grader at Riverside High School, who is the high school winner of the City of Jacksonville's Tomorrow's Leaders Award. Presented by VyStar Credit Union, this award honors local students who embody Dr. King’s service, leadership, and civic responsibility principles. Winners were chosen from essay, poetry, and visual arts submissions inspired by Dr. King’s powerful quote, “We must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.” Gibbs and the other winners will be honored at the annual MLK Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 17.
Congratulations to Diego Munoz, a seventh grader at Westview K8, who is the middle school winner for the City of Jacksonville's Tomorrow's Leaders Award. Presented by VyStar Credit Union, this award honors local students who embody Dr. King’s service, leadership, and civic responsibility principles. Winners were chosen from essay, poetry, and visual arts submissions inspired by Dr. King’s powerful quote, “We must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.” Munoz and the other winners will be honored at the annual MLK Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 17.
Congratulations to Tyson Jones, a fifth grader at Biscayne Elementary, who is the elementary winner for the City of Jacksonville's Tomorrow's Leaders Award. Presented by VyStar Credit Union, this award honors local students who embody Dr. King’s service, leadership, and civic responsibility principles. Winners were chosen from essay, poetry, and visual arts submissions inspired by Dr. King’s powerful quote, “We must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.” Jones and the other winners will be honored at the annual MLK Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 17.
Sniffles, sneezes, and fevers—oh my! 😷 Keep your child healthy this cold & flu season.
Free telehealth visits are available for all Team Duval students. Sign up today and be prepared! https://getstarted.hazel.co/district/duvalschools
Enrollment and school choice season is here! New families looking to enroll their rising kindergarten students into a Team Duval school can do so beginning Dec. 1. Visit our Enroll Now webpage to see the five simple steps for enrollment: https://www.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/new-student-enrollment
School Choice applications are also open now. Current families looking to apply for magnet or Special Transfer Option (STO) schools for the upcoming school year can begin the process now. These applications will be in FOCUS, which is located in the Family Portal: https://oneview.duvalschools.org/. Note that kindergarten enrollment happens throughout the year, but there is a deadline for magnet and STO applications. This is Jan. 31. Learn more about the magnet/STO application process on our website: https://www.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/magnetspecial-transfer-option-sto-application-process
It's Thanksgiving week, and while this can be a joyful time, the holidays may also be stressful and overwhelming for many, including children and teens. Our partners at Hazel Health are committed to providing services to our students to help them navigate their hard times. Hazel Health will be available to students over the Thanksgiving break with online therapist visits at $0 for all students. To schedule a visit with a licensed therapist, visit https://getstarted.hazel.co/district/duvalschools
Don't Forget - Our elementary School Showcase Saturday event is just around the corner on Saturday, Dec. 7. This is a great event for families seeking the best choice for their new kindergarten student or elementary-aged child. All district elementary schools will be open for families to meet school leadership and tour the school. Tours at each school will begin at 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. Learn more about the event on the School Showcase Saturday webpage: https://dcps.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/showcase
Team Duval welcomed three new Board Members on Nov. 20 during a special swearing-in ceremony. Please welcome: The Honorable Anthony Ricardo, District 1; The Honorable Reginald K. Blount, District 5; and the Honorable Melody Bolduc, District 7. Additionally, the Board held its annual re-organization meeting where it selects the Chair and Vice-Chair for the upcoming year. Congratulations to the new Board Chair, Charlotte Joyce, and the new Vice-Chair, April Carney.
Parents and caregivers interested in becoming better advocates for their children are invited to apply for Parents Who Lead, a 20-week program of Duval County Public Schools, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, and Kids Hope Alliance. The program organizes events for participants to learn about the structure of local government and empowers parents to translate problems into action. By the end of the program, participants are able to create personalized projects that address changes they want to see in the education system. Applications are being accepted until Nov. 22 and the program will run from January to June 2025. Interested individuals can learn more at https://www.jaxpef.org/what-we-do/convening-partners
Please save the dates for our upcoming School Showcase Saturday events: Saturday, Dec. 7 for elementary schools and Saturday, Jan. 11 for middle and high schools. On these Saturdays, families can visit schools, meet school leaders and educators, and go on school tours. Learn more at https://dcps.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/showcase. Remember also that the school choice application window is earlier this year: December 1, 2024 - January 31, 2025. This is the time when families can submit applications for magnet schools or schools outside their child's attendance zone for the upcoming school year.
It was an emotional morning for two outstanding educators! Principal Vincent Hall of Raines High School and Assistant Principal Daniel Sapp Jr. of Ramona Boulevard Elementary learned they had been selected as the 2025 Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year, respectively. After recovering from the surprise announcements, both educators tearfully thanked their staff, students and families! Join us in congratulating these amazing school leaders!
Reminder - The new Edulog bus app will fully launch on Friday. Through the Edulog bus app, families of eligible and registered bus riders will be able to monitor their child’s bus in real time. Additionally, we will send bus delay communications only through the app. The Edulog bus app is available to download now. Learn more by visiting https://www.duvalschools.org/page/busapp
Duval County Public Schools is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 29 regarding the recommendation to consolidate select schools in 2025-26. This meeting is open to the public and will be held in the district administration building located at 1701 Prudential Drive.
For those wishing to speak, public comment cards will be accepted in the administration building lobby at two different times: from 3-4 p.m. and from 5-6:15 p.m.
Public comment will begin shortly after the meeting begins at 6 p.m. The public hearings for each school consolidation recommendation will follow public comment.
