Sept. 2, 2026 – This week, the Duval County School Board approved revisions to existing policy to increase transparency and community engagement around school closure and consolidation procedures.
In addition to creating more opportunities for community engagement, this Board action also reduces redundancies that previously existed within district policy. Rather than addressing school closures, consolidations, and attendance boundary changes across multiple policies, the district now has one primary policy to guide these processes: Board Policy 5.44.
By consolidating multiple policies into a single framework, Board Policy 5.44 establishes the district’s procedures for attendance boundaries, school closures, and school consolidations. It also creates a formal process for identifying potential changes while providing additional opportunities for community input and feedback throughout the decision-making process.
More Community Involvement
The updated policy increases transparency and accessibility by adding more opportunities for broader community input. Students, families, staff, and community members will have opportunities to review information, raise concerns, and suggest alternatives. Once district leaders review and assess the feedback, they will return to the community for additional conversation.
Ultimately, community feedback will be considered advisory. The Superintendent will make a recommendation to the School Board, which will hold public hearings and take action on the recommendation.
Single Policy for Boundaries, Consolidations, and Closures
The updated policy replaces the Academic and Community Excellence (ACE) process outlined in Policy 8.51, as well as the Closing and Consolidation Impact Review Process outlined in Policy 8.53.
Under the revised policy, the district will consider several factors when determining whether intervention is necessary. Those factors include:
Enrollment and building capacity
The cost of operating a school
Access to academic programs
Proximity to students’ homes
The condition of the school facility
Academic performance
The potential impact on transportation and families
The district will aim for schools to operate between 85% and 100% of their available capacity. Schools will also be reviewed annually and the above factors will be measured as:
Monitor – The school is operating within acceptable ranges but needs to be monitored.
Adjust – The district may need to make adjustments, such as moving programs or changing how facilities are used.
Reconfigure – The district will consider options such as redrawing attendance boundaries, consolidating schools, closing a school, or repurposing the facility.
The new policy provides flexibility to evaluate different aspects of a school independently. For example, a school's enrollment may be classified as Monitor, while its academic programs may be classified as Reconfigure.
Updated Transition Period
If the School Board approves a school boundary change, consolidation, or closure, Policy 5.44 now states that the change generally cannot take effect until the beginning of the second full academic year after the Board’s vote. However, the Superintendent can recommend a different timeline when circumstances warrant it.
The policy also includes possible transition exceptions for students, including allowing some seniors to remain at their school for their final year and keeping siblings together when possible.
To review the updated policy language and the Board agenda item, click here.