Plan finalized to close 2 underperforming Duval County schools

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The plan to permanently close two underperforming public schools in Duval County was finalized during a School Board meeting Tuesday evening.

The schools affected by the plan include Lake Forest Elementary School and Northwestern Middle School.

Northwestern Middle will remain open for the upcoming school year, but it is not accepting any new sixth graders. After the school year, it will close its doors. The school received its fourth consecutive D grade in the 2018-19 school year.

Lake Forest Elementary, which received an F grade, closed its doors in May. The district plans to turn the school into an early learning community center.

The district's plan to convert Northwestern into an elementary school is contingent upon whether voters approve a half-cent sales tax to fund the district's master facilities plan.