New Westside middle school to start construction thanks to half-cent sales tax

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday to mark the beginning of a new place to learn for sixth through eighth graders.

Chaffee Trail Middle School is the first middle school to be built funded by the half-penny sales tax, which was approved by Duval County voters in 2020.

Students will perform and school district leaders will share remarks about the Westside’s new addition to education.

The 6-8 grade school is estimated to cost $38.6 million and is just one of four transformational projects that will be funded by the sales tax.

In September, the design meeting between stakeholders for the new middle school was completed, and the district said it has received conceptual floor plans and proposed building elevations for the new school.

The groundbreaking will be held at Chaffee Trail Elementary on Sam Caruso Way. The middle school will be built not too far from the elementary school.

Construction is scheduled to be finished by August 2024.