DCPS is exploring additional school closures in the

proposed Master Facilities Plan update:

How did we get here?

Public School Defenders is a diverse coalition of parents, teachers, students, community members, public school graduates and interested persons who work to ensure students are in a safe and inclusive learning environment. We advocate for ALL students in Duval County’s Public Schools, where the focus should remain on safety, inclusion, and academic excellence.  We stand for the rights of all students, parents, and teachers to a quality public education system.

The Duval County Public Schools Board has been evaluating a consultant-prepared plan that recommended closure of multiple schools based on increased construction costs impacting the Master Facilities Plan and declining enrollment. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and references that can help inform the community as we ask Duval County Public Schools how we got to this point and how we proceed from here. The issue of public school underfunding extends beyond DCPS, but we are focused on our local schools in this document.

How are public schools and charter schools funded in Florida?  Is the same amount of money given per student to each?

• Public schools receive funding from the state legislature annually^[1]. The distribution of public tax dollars equitably to each school district is based on the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP)^[2]. Revenue for Capital funding and Operational funding are separate- the District is NOT increasing salaries, for example, with capital revenue from the half-penny sales tax (est. 2020). Operational funding is supplemented by the 2022 referendum for an additional 1mil of local property tax.
• Charter schools also receive funding through the FEFP and receive their proportional share of local millage and sales tax based on per pupil enrollment^[3]. Charter school funding passes through the local school district to the Charter operators. This is important to keep in mind as funding for the District appears to increase, which can be accounted for, as charter schools expand and enrollment in charters increases. This additional annual funding does NOT go to traditional neighborhood schools because enrollment in traditional neighborhood schools is declining. Charter schools receive PECO money for capital funding- the District has not received any PECO funding for several years- the state legislature allocates all of these dollars to Higher Ed and Charter schools.

• For Example- From 2023-24 PECO capital plan^[4]: Duval County Public Schools - Cornerstone Classical Academy Expansion Project (SF 1907) (HF 2169) 1,200,000^[5]
• Additionally, Jacksonville City Council has included charter school funding in the city budget.^[6]

• Voucher expansion also impacts enrollment and funding for traditional public schools^[7]. Vouchers are available to all families regardless of income, there is no cap to the number of students who may receive a voucher, and no requirement that the student has a previous enrollment in a public school. These voucher funds are used to support private school tuition and homeschool families. ^[8] 

• Voucher/Scholarship - a system of replacing state-managed public education with a marketplace for private operators; it requires a middleman to manage the contributions coming in and the vouchers going out. In Florida, Step Up For Students handles 99% of the business and takes a fee for this management ^[9]

^[10]

Has the state cut more money from this school district compared to others?

• No. Funding for the FEFP combines state funds – primarily generated from sales tax revenue and local funds generated from property tax revenue. It is important to note that the FEFP is only the centerpiece of the total funding for education. Funding for a variety of programs and services – such as school construction, workforce development and preschool programs – is provided in addition to the funds allocated through the FEFP.
• To provide equal educational opportunities for all children, each component of the FEFP equation attempts to adjust education funding to meet the particular needs and conditions of each of Florida’s 67 counties. During each legislative session, every component of the equation is subject to debate and adjustment by our legislators. Existing equation components may be amended, new components may be added, and old or unpopular components may be deleted in response to the state’s political and economic climate and in the ongoing effort to meet the changing needs of Florida’s diverse population^[11]

What is the history of the half penny tax, Master Facilities Plan (MFP), and the most recent scenarios presented by the hired consultant?

• The School Board approved The Bold Plan^[12] in 2019 and requested a special election to begin implementation of the plan in 2020. This plan accounted for the needs of schools across Duval County and distributed funding equitably across the district to ensure that the schools and communities most in need were tended to first and received their fair share of funding. The City Council denied placing the referendum on the ballot for the voters to decide delaying the referendum for a full year^[13]. In 2020 the voters in Duval County overwhelmingly passed the half penny increase to fund the Master Facilities Plan^[14]. The District began receiving revenue from this new sales tax in 2021 - more than two years after the original plan was developed and approved by the Duval School Board and after the state legislature passed a new law requiring school districts to share local referendum revenue with Charter schools based on per-pupil enrollment rather than capital/facilities needs.
• Jacobs Engineering is a 3rd party consulting firm that has worked with the district to analyze facilities needs and utilization for many years. They are not local and provide unbiased recommendations for facilities improvements and adjustments solely based on data. The most recent facilities plan recommendation^[15] was presented to the Board during a MFP retreat on March 11, 2024^[16] at which the Board explored the various issues impacting construction and enrollment. The new recommendations include many more closures and consolidations than the original plan. The presentation clearly states, “This brief is a work in progress and subject to change as the engagements inform better solutions.”

What state legislation has impacted public school and charter school funding?

• The following is a list of Florida legislation from 2019 to 2023, with a consistent theme of pulling funds from traditional public schools to charter schools and private schools (via vouchers).

• Education Legislation summary 2019^[17]

• HB 5
• HB 7070

• Sections 16, 21, 22, and 23 - Requirements for school district capital outlay funds and requires the review and revision of student station

• Education Legislation summary 2020^[18]

• HB7067 – K-12 Scholarship Programs

• Education Legislation Summary 2021^[19]

• SB1028 Education

• 1002.33 Charter Schools
• 1013.62 Charter School Capital Outlay Funding

• HB745 School Choice

• Education Legislation Summary 2022^[20]

• HB 225 Charter School Charters
• SB 758

• Charter School Review Commission is created within the Florida Department of Education to solicit, review and approve charter school applications as a statewide authorizer
• Specifies that a charter sponsor may not impose additional reporting requirements on a charter school as long as the charter school has not been identified as having a deteriorating financial condition or financial emergency

• *DCPS sales tax oversight committee cannot require charters to report sales tax expenditures.

• Prohibits a charter school from being subjected to any land use regulation requiring a change to a local government comprehensive plan

• Education Legislation 2023

• HB 1 Education^[21] Universal Vouchers
• HB 1259^[22]

• Revises charter school eligibility & ineligibility criteria to receive capital outlay funds; revises calculation methodologies for distribution of specified funds to eligible charter schools; provides school district requirements for distribution of capital outlay funds to eligible charter schools; & provides requirements for use of capital outlay funds

K-8 facilities have been discussed - Are there any studies that cover the pros and cons of these schools?  How is safety impacted?  

• These articles show that middle school education is a nuanced situation, with some educators preferring K-8 and some preferring 6-8. The most important thing to consider are the needs of the individual community’s parents and educators and include them in discussions of changing existing schools.

• The Shift to K-8 Schools^[23]
• K-8 or Middle School: What Works for Early Adolescents Depends on Many Factors^[24]

Why are highly rated schools on the consolidation list?

• The recommendations from the engineering firm are based on enrollment trends and cost efficiency. The community engagement and school grade were not accounted for. Learn more about the most recent school grades here^[25]

What about lottery money?

• The lottery is less than 1% of the budget and the state dictates that it goes to Bright Futures Scholarships and higher education. Lottery money cannot be used for teacher salaries.^[26]

Some have stated the school district has mismanaged funds, is this the case?

• Funds from the state have not kept up with inflation for many years. Although more money is distributed to the District, these funds do not meet the financial needs of a high quality public schools system, and funds have increasingly been moving from our neighborhood schools to charter and voucher schools.

^[27]

What schools are on the list for potential closure?

* District 7 - The formula for state approved public school development is partially reliant on being over capacity.  As the Mandarin community has grown, they have not been able to show the capacity need to get state approval to accommodate growth due to charter school expansion.  D7 currently has a 1:1 ratio of traditional public schools and charter schools.