DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

A lockdown was lifted Thursday afternoon at Mandarin Middle School, according to a message sent to students’ families.

Elijah Melendez-Eyster is a senior at Mandarin High School and part of the Jacksonville Association of Governing Students, or “JAGS,” a recently-rebooted initiative by Duval County Public Schools, aimed at providing students with a direct conduit to the highest offices in the district.

Parents have been surprised to find their schools’ bookshelves empty during the review process as districts across the state perform a mass review of all classroom libraries and media centers.

Duval County Public Schools is performing a mass review of all classroom libraries and media centers throughout the district after the Florida Department of Education handed down directives parallel to new state law.

News4JAX on Tuesday afternoon received a disposition notice from the State Attorney’s Office, indicating that the state will not seek charges against a Ribault High School dean that was arrested in a confrontation with a student in December.

The "School Showcase Saturday” event was for parents interested in VPK, magnet schools or special transfer options.

A long-time custodian at Duval County Public Schools who is facing multiple charges including sexual battery on a child and kidnapping is now accused of impregnating a student while he was working at a Jacksonville school.

A bond hearing for Wayne Williams — a long-time custodian at Duval County Public Schools who is facing multiple charges including sexual battery on a child and kidnapping — has been pushed back to Jan. 12 at 10:30 a.m. due to the judge’s schedule.

The final five teachers vying for the Duval County Teacher of the Year award were announced by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) on Thursday.

The CEO of JASMYN, a group that provides resources for the LGBTQ community, addressed the Duval County School Board during Tuesday’s meeting — following DCPS’ decision to end its decades-long services agreement with the organization.

Duval County Public Schools calls it a “review” for age appropriateness, but a free speech and human rights group is calling it a “book ban.”

A high school on Jacksonville’s Westside was placed on a Code Yellow lockdown Wednesday after fireworks were set off on the campus, according to Duval County Public Schools.

Duval County Public Schools leaders have approved a refurbished set of sex education lessons for middle and high school students after hours of discussion during Tuesday’s board meeting.

A vote is expected Tuesday night on how sex ed will be taught in Duval County Public Schools. The original curriculum was tossed out—because of concerns it didn’t meet new state laws.

An organization of Duval County Public Schools teachers and staff plan to speak out against the district’s recent decision to cut ties with a local LGBTQ advocacy group, JASMYN.

New records obtained Friday by News4JAX shed new light on why a former custodian for Duval County Public Schools, who was arrested in November on charges of capital sexual battery and kidnapping, was investigated at least three times while working for the district.

A dean of students at Ribault High School was arrested and faces a charge of child abuse, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police report obtained Thursday by News4JAX.

The campus at Lake Shore Middle School was on a temporary Code Red lockdown Thursday morning after a bus driver reported seeing a suspicious person with a weapon approach the school.

The State Attorney’s Office has filed additional charges against a Duval County Public Schools custodian accused of child sexual battery.

Duval County Public Schools ended its decades-long services agreement with JASMYN, an organization that provides resources for the LGBTQ community, citing the perceived use of materials deemed to be inappropriate for children.

The News4JAX I-TEAM is looking into the history of a Duval County Public Schools custodian arrested on child sexual battery and kidnapping charges.

A long-time school custodian with Duval County Public Schools faces multiple charges including sex battery on a child and kidnapping.

Going forward – some families will get direct messages — through text and email — when their child’s bust is more than 30 minutes late.

DCPS Superintendent, Dr. Diana Greene, was given an annual evaluation by the school board Tuesday.

A loaded gun was found Wednesday afternoon in a student’s backpack at Arlington Elementary School, according to Duval County School Police Chief Greg Burton.

Gregory Drive Elementary School was temporarily locked down Wednesday after a report of gunfire in the area, according to Duval County Public Schools.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is at the scene of a major accident involving a school bus on 103rd Street and Ricker Road on the Westside.

After abruptly postponing the legally required presentation of the district’s supplemental health curriculum in September, the Duval County School Board reviewed the new proposed plan for how the district will teach students about reproductive health and disease prevention.

Duval County Public Schools on Friday afternoon confirmed one of its elementary schools was locked down after a report of a suspicious person who was wielding an ax outside the school.

In Northeast Florida, most school districts reopened Monday, but temporary closures because of Ian have forced the state to make some changes.

Three Duval County students and two other people were hurt Wednesday morning when a school bus collided with a box truck on Interstate 95 near Eighth Street, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

After declaring a state of emergency for Duval County ahead of Hurricane Ian, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced Wednesday morning that based on the Category 4 storm’s current trajectory, he would NOT be issuing mandatory evacuation orders for the county.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry declared a state of emergency for Duval County and the activation of the Emergency Operations Center, effective at noon Wednesday, as Category 3 Hurricane Ian tracks toward Florida.

A planned discussion of the material Duval County Public Schools uses to teach students about reproductive health was pulled from Monday night’s school board agenda.

A now-former school safety officer accused of inappropriately touching a teenager was arrested Tuesday by the Atlantic Beach Police Department on multiple charges, according to authorities.

The Duval County School Board met Thursday morning to discuss the findings of a bombshell grand jury report that found the school’s police force underreported crimes to the state.

The family of a student who was left with a “permanent total disability” after a shooting at a Raines High School football game in 2018 is taking its fight against former Duval County Public Schools police chief Micheal Edwards and the Duval County School Board to federal court.

The district is moving forward with four transformative new school projects across the city funded by the half-cent sales tax that was approved by Duval County voters in 2020.

There was no arrest made after a school threat incident Monday at Mayport Coastal Sciences Elementary, according to an incident report obtained Wednesday by News4JAX.

Duval County Public Schools has laptops and hotspots available for students in need.

Loretto Elementary School was evacuated Monday due to a gas leak, News4JAX has learned.

A parent was placed in custody Monday after allegedly making threats against Mayport Coastal Sciences Elementary School, according to the principal.

The Duval County Property Appraiser said Friday that homeowners and property owners will not pay a new tax until 2023.

A student is accused of making a social media threat aimed at Atlantic Coast High School, the principal said Friday.

It's still not clear when Duval County homeowners will get a higher tax bill to fund higher pay for teachers. Voters approved the property tax rate hike on Tuesday, but the details of when it will take effect are still not clear.

While Tuesday night represented a big win for supporters of Duval County’s property tax referendum to fund pay raises for teachers, it could be longer than expected before that revenue lands in teachers’ paychecks.

A spokesperson for Duval County Public Schools addressed the latest report from a Florida grand jury that accuses the former director of Duval County Public Schools’ Police Department of severely underreporting instances of crimes on school campuses over a four-year period.

Duval County Public Schools leaders met Tuesday afternoon to discuss a multimillion-dollar proposal to purchase and install weapons detectors in all district high schools.

In Duval County, staff at Mandarin High School held special drills this summer. The same drills were also held at Crown Point Elementary. They focused on how to reunite parents and children if there is a disaster, like an armed attacker.

The Duval County school district is reminding parents to apply for a free laptop or hot spot for their child if they need it.