The Duval County (Florida) School Board has voted to close two more elementary schools — but later than originally proposed.
Jacksonville Today reports that Instead of closing the schools at the end of this school year, the board has postponed Anchor Academy’s consolidation with Mayport Elementary until the 2028-29 school year. Long Branch Elementary will consolidate into R.L. Brown Gifted and Academically Talented Academy for the 2027-28 school year.
Superintendent Christopher Bernier has said that Duval must close schools in order to balance its budget. Bernier says small schools are not financially efficient; to break even, schools need at least 700 students.
Mayport Elementary and Anchor Academy both serve military families stationed at the nearby Navy base. Anchor Academy has been at half capacity for several years, but this year dropped to 38%.
Board member April Carney says she has been working for months to find a way to keep Anchor Academy open because of its proximity to the base. She said that with the help of U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, she may be able to secure a grant from the Department of Defense to renovate or rebuild Anchor Academy and instead close Mayport Elementary.
The uncertainty of the federal funding made a vote for consolidation on the shorter timeline impractical. If the grant doesn’t come through, Anchor Academy will merge into Mayport Elementary in 2028.
