SCHOOL BOARD

The St. Johns County School Board is considering raising property taxes in the county to help pay for teacher raises.

The Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP is questioning the process of hiring a new superintendent for Duval County Public Schools.

Parents are expected to speak out at a St. Johns County School Board meeting Tuesday night after multiple schools in the northern part of the county had incidents either involving fighting and violent attacks or threats.

Plans are now in the works to turn the historic Hastings library in St. Johns County into a technical college.

After his son was injured in a violent attack at Switzerland Point Middle School, Mark Alvelo spoke out to the St. Johns County School Board during its meeting Monday, calling for action.

A Virginia school board is scheduled to vote this week on the departure of its superintendent after a 6-year-old student shot and wounded his teacher.

After a five-year legal battle, a sharply divided federal appeals court Friday upheld a St. Johns County School Board policy that prevented a transgender male student from using boys’ bathrooms at a high school.

The St. Johns County School Board moved forward with plans to build two new schools in the northwest part of the county to help alleviate overcrowding.

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.”

St. Johns County voted in favor of incumbent Beverly Slough for School Board District 1.

All voters in Columbia County are being asked to vote for or against a School Board proposal to levy a ½-cent local-option sales tax to fund the acquisition, construction, renovation and improvement of public and charter school facilities, including safety and security and technology.

Residents of Flagler County are being asked on the November ballot to vote for or against renewing a half-cent sales tax for 10 years to fund technology, school safety and education facilities.

A federal judge is considering whether to throw out Jacksonville’s newly-drawn city council and school board district map ahead of next year’s elections in March.

Beverly Slough has not attempted to hide her political leanings in a role that has historically been considered - and administratively remains - nonpartisan. The current representative of District 1, Slough was first elected in 2002 and is now running to retain her seat against a challenger, Racheal Hand.

Though the St. Johns County School Board scrubbed the district’s dress code of gendered language last year, the enforcement of the code still almost exclusively affects girls, according to records obtained by News4JAX.

Eight controversial books will stay on St. Johns County school shelves despite another heated debate about them on Thursday.

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 former assistant coach who was employed by the St. Johns County School Board is facing two counts of sexual battery after two women -- who were then students -- came forward with allegations, according to an arrest report from the county Sheriff’s Office.

Two candidates are seeking the votes for Alachua County School Board, District 5.

Two candidates are seeking the votes for Putnam County School Board, District 5.

Two candidates are seeking the votes for Flagler County School Board, District 4. This is a nonpartisan office that will be elected by all voters during the August primary.

The only contested race for the Columbia County School Board this cycle is a three-way race in District 5. Hunter Peeler and Elizabeth Porter got the most votes in the August primary but neither got more than 50% of the vote, so they will face off in a runoff on the November ballot.

Jack Baker Jr. won 64% of the vote in the August primary and was elected to Baker County School Board’s District 2.

Two candidates are seeking the votes for Clay County School Board, District 5. This is a nonpartisan office appearing on the August ballot and will be selected by all voters in the district, regardless of party.

Three candidates are seeking the votes for Clay County School Board, District 1. This is a nonpartisan office is elected by all voters in the district, regardless of party. This race appears on the August primary ballot. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the top two will advance to a runoff in November.

Two candidates are seeking the votes for Clay County School Board, District 4. This is a nonpartisan office appearing on the August ballot will be selected by all voters in the district, regardless of party.

Two candidates are seeking the votes for the District 4 seat on the St. Johns County School Board. This is a non-partisan race that will appear on the August ballot open to all voters in the district.

Next month, Clay County voters will head to the polls to vote for its school board.

The St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday accepted a $59.4 million bid to build a new K-8 school in the northern part of the county.

A cafeteria worker in St. Johns County is being called a hero after she saved the life of a student who was choking on a grape.

The Nassau County School Board on Thursday voted to move forward with plans to try to increase the county’s property taxes to help raise pay for teachers.

The St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved seven new attendance zones that will go into effect in the 2022-23 school year.

Seven controversial books will remain on St. Johns County library shelves.

The five-member St. Johns County School Board approved advertising seven of the nine proposed changes to the school attendance zones of the county’s rapidly developing northside.

The school district in Flagler County is looking at making big changes to its student dress code.

The St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday morning got its first look at potential attendance zone changes for the northwest part of the county.

St. Johns County School Board member Bill Mignon told News4JAX on Thursday he plans to step down from his position at the end of his term later this year.

The woman who helped launch a federal Title IX investigation into the St. Johns County School District is now running to serve on its board.

The St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday moved forward with plans for a much-needed K-8 school in the northwest part of the county.

Two St. Johns County school board members were in Tallahassee last week and took the opportunity to lobby local lawmakers for additional funding to help deal with the explosive growth in the county.

School board salaries would be eliminated under Florida House bill now poised for debate

A Tennessee school district has voted to ban a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust due to “inappropriate language” and an illustration of a nude woman.

The St. Johns County School Board had a long discussion Tuesday morning about how to deal with the booming growth, and for now, dealing with it means more portable classrooms and possible zoning changes in the northwest part of the county.

The father of a 5-year-old girl made an impassioned plea to the St. Johns County School Board during its Tuesday night meeting.

The St. Johns County School Board approved a 5-year plan Tuesday morning.

The Clay County School Board on Thursday night voted unanimously in favor of naming its new elementary school Spring Park Elementary.

The Clay County School Board is standing strong with its decision to not make masks mandatory in schools.

Starting next Monday, students and staff at public schools in Nassau County will be required to wear masks.

The number of St. Johns County students quarantined due to possible exposure to the coronavirus grew by nearly 300% during the first week of classes.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced the appointment of the former chair of the Alachua Republican Party to fill a vacant seat on the Alachua County School Board.

Following calls for masks in schools at a previous school district meeting, the Nassau County School Board on Tuesday held a special meeting to discuss the hot button topic and get feedback from the community.

At the close of the first day of school, the St. Johns County School District reported a total of 155 cases of COVID-19 in its schools.

Several parents and even a student stood in front of the Clay County School Board on Thursday to explain why they are either for or against students wearing masks this school year.

Citing the CDC’s recommendation for universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status, an online petition is calling for St. Johns County schools to impose a mask mandate when the new school year begins in two weeks.

On Tuesday night, Alachua County School Board voted in favor of requiring students to wear masks for the first two weeks of school.

To deal with explosive growth and school overcrowding, the St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday voted to change attendance zones for students in the northwest part of the county.

The St. Johns County School Board voted Tuesday to join a multi-district lawsuit targeting pharmaceutical companies that manufacture opioids, as well as companies that distribute the drugs.

A joint meeting between the Jacksonville City Council and the Duval County School board was recessed just after starting Friday morning due to a disturbance.

Dozens of people flooded the Duval County School board meeting Tuesday evening, taking the name change fight to the decision makers.

The Clay County School Board on Thursday night voted in favor of contracting a company to maintain its athletic fields.

FILE - In this March 22, 2019 file photo, shows marijuana buds being sorted into a prescription jar at Compassionate Care Foundation's medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)MELBOURNE, Fla. – A Florida teacher has been fired for using medical marijuana. The Brevard County School Board voted 3-2 on Tuesday to terminate Allison Enright from her position at Space Coast Junior/Senior High School, Florida Today reported. The school district must be a drug-free workplace to receive certain federal grants, and that means the district can’t allow teachers to use marijuana, School Board General Counsel Paul Gibbs said. The school district adopted a policy in 2019 allowing students to use medical marijuana, but the policy didn't address teachers.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene said in a School Board workshop Tuesday morning that the estimated total cost for renaming nine schools with controversial namesakes in the district could top $2 million. The $2 million total includes roughly $32,000 for each of the two elementary schools and $287,000 for the seven secondary schools on the renaming list. As predicted, the largest estimated costs associated with renaming a school are the price tags for new athletics and band uniforms, expected to cost a combined $195,000 per secondary school. Because the district’s elementary schools don’t have those extracurriculars nor the need to change school mascots -- estimated to cost $60,000 -- Finegan and Jackson Elementary schools are quoted at a fraction of the total cost of the secondary school renamings. money collected by the specific school for faculty, staff, and student activities) and private donations.

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – The Clay County School District will launch its controlled open enrollment program for the fifth year, which gives parents the option of choosing a Clay County school for their child that is outside their established attendance zone based on capacity at key schools. The window to apply for Controlled Open Enrollment begins on Friday and ends on April 9. “For us, open enrollment is a great opportunity to market all the great things that are happening Clay County Schools,” district chief of staff Terri Dennis said. “This determination takes into account the rapid growth in Clay County,” the Controlled Open Enrollment Plan said. Applications will be available at the Clay County District Schools’ website.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – In a letter sent to Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, members of the St. Johns County School Board asked the state not to penalize the school district based on the results of the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) tests. “We want to give the test because we want to understand where our children are performing. AdThe letter, which was also signed by Superintendent Tim Forson, cites the U.S. Department of Education which said assessment flexibility was needed due to the ongoing pandemic. “Man students and staff members have missed time at school due to the illness itself, or mandatory quarantine, and students struggled in online platforms for a variety of reasons,” the letter states. Standardized testing begins April 15 and continues through May 28 in Florida schools.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – After weeks of negotiations, the Nassau Teachers Association (NTA) and the Nassau County School Board reached a tentative agreement for teacher salary increases on Monday night. Negotiations had dragged on after disagreements about how salaries for veteran teachers would be increased. Ron DeSantis signed a bill in June with the goal of raising the minimum teacher salary to $47,500 and provide other raises at a cost of $500 million — $400 million to boost the minimum teacher salary and $100 million for other pay raises. Under the previous proposal, veteran teachers would earn as little as $715. AdThe vast majority of Nassau County School District teachers voted to reject the last proposed salary increase last month.

Construction on new K-8 school in St. Johns County moving forward. ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County School Board got an update Tuesday morning from the school district on a flurry of new school construction happening in the fast-growing county. (St. Johns County School District)Construction is also moving forward on schedule for Tocoi Creek High School, the district said, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Yet another high school, High School “III”, is also making progress. MORE: School construction updates from St. Johns County School DistrictAdThe 73-acre site has been cleared and readied for construction, which is projected to cost $59 million.

YULEE, Fla. – A woman in Nassau County was arrested Friday night, accused of attempting to steal a school bus from the Nassau County School Board. Melissa Gail Lacey, 48, was found lying down on the floor of the bus which was parked in front of a house around 2:30 a.m., according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. Homeowners found Lacey’s car in their driveway and, after discovering she was in the bus, told authorities she did not have permission to be in there. NCSO said the key was in the bus ignition and the airlock doors were pulled open. She was transported to the Nassau County Detention Facility.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County School Board chose a name Tuesday for the new high school that up to today had been labeled “HHH.”The school will be Tocoi Creek High School. A mascot will be chosen later from 11 options:Suggested school names Mascot top selections Ancient City High School Bulls Nine Mile High School Cyclones North River High School Hornets River Valley High School Hurricanes Tocoi Creek High School (chosen name) Longhorns Tolomato High School Moccasins Razorbacks Tigers Toro Vikings VipersOn Dec. 15, the academic and elective course catalog will be released for the 2021-2022 school year enrollment. The St. Johns County School Board said the new school is desperately needed to help address overcrowding in the district. “Largely this will be taking the pressure off Nease high school,” said St. Johns County Superintendent Tim Forson. Realtor Shimi Meir says the market for families in St. Johns County is so high in demand that sellers and builders have taken advantage of it.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Negotiations reached an impasse Friday night between the Clay County School Board and representatives for the Clay County Education Association which represents teachers. The sticking point, according to CCEA president Vicki Kidwell, is the distribution of state-funded pay raises through HB 641, signed by Gov. It sets aside $400 million to raise the minimum salary for teachers and $100 million to provide veteran teachers a pay boost. The Clay County School Board’s plan would give new teachers an increase of around $6,000, while longer-serving instructors would receive around $600, according to Kidwell. Nearby, negotiators with the St. Johns County teachers union and the St. Johns County School District tentatively agreed to terms on Tuesday that would raise the starting pay for teachers by more than $6,500.

There are some major changes for the Clay County school district. There has also been a major shift on the Clay County School Board. Longtime School Board member Carol Studdard, who has been a board member for almost three decades, lost to Beth Clark. The other headline of note in Clay County is Studdard losing her re-election bid for the first time. District officials tell News4Jax wanted this new tax hike to be a sales tax so it wasn’t specifically funded only by property owners in Clay County.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools is seeking input from the community about how to improve its schools. The district is holding seven meetings this month to hear ideas and suggestions from parents and others. School Board Chairman Warren Jones said the feedback is important as the district develops its strategic plan for the next few years. “Our graduation rate is the highest it’s been but I think our goal should be (a) 90% graduation rate.”The first community meeting was Monday from 6-8 p.m. at Raines High School. “We presented our statistics on where we are, the many challenges we face as a school district," Jones said.

Title: Levy one-half cent sales surtax for district school and charter school authorized usesBallot language: Shall a one-half cent sales surtax be levied in Clay County by the School Board for thirty years, beginning January 1, 2021, to finance district school construction, reconstruction, renovation, and remodeling of facilities, safety, security, technology upgrades, land acquisition and improvement and allowable statutory uses for charter schools. A citizens advisory committee will monitor expenditures. Revenues collected must be shared with eligible charter schools based on their proportionate share of total school district enrollment.

INVERNESS, Fla. One Florida school board is shelling out $343,000 to lease iPads after some 1,100 units were either damaged or not returned when school ended in the spring. Citrus County School Board members agreed this week to spend the money after being told that the number of broken or missing iPads had more than doubled, the Citrus County Chronicle reported. A message on the screen says that the iPad belongs to the Citrus County School District and should be returned. The school board either owns or leases 16,500 to 17,000 iPads, according to Mike Mullen, the district's assistant superintendent. Parents sign contracts with the school district, agreeing to return the iPads at the end of a school term, the newspaper reported.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. The St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday morning finalized plans for how the district plans to handle students who refuse to wear masks at school. The reassignment would apply to students who fail to wear a mask or face covering when required on more than three occasions. Before the student is reassigned, the school principal must notify the student and the students parents verbally and in writing that a student has refused or failed to comply with required district practices. The superintendents decision to reassign a student to distance learning will be final and shall not be subject to appeal, the district said. Part of the rules adopted Tuesday give Forson the power to require that all district students, teachers, staff, volunteers, vendors, and others, wear a mask.

(Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved./Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. GAINESVILLE, Fla. The Alachua County school board on Wednesday made the decision to postpone the school start date one week until Aug. 31. The school year was scheduled to begin on Aug. 24. The School Board also approved maintaining the existing three options for education in the fall and pushed preplanning for teachers until Aug. 24. Students have the option to return to school and receive face-to-face instruction at their assigned school with health and safety measures in place, attend Alachua Digital Academy or Alachua eSchool.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Promising that details would come soon, Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday that the city and Duval County Public Schools would share the cost of providing coronavirus testing for public schools in Jacksonville. The School Board and our superintendent is working their plan to offer virtual learning or in-school learning for parents that want it. People are wearing masks when theyre in situations where they cant practice socially distancing and I expect that other parts of the city will have more activity available and access to the public, Curry said. At his virtual news conference Wednesday, Curry announced another round of CARES Act funding for businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic would be opening soon. Using the slogan Make Your Mark Jacksonville, he also urged citizens to fill out their U.S. Census forms to ensure the city receives its fair share of government funding and representation.

Published: August 1, 2020, 7:57 am Updated: August 3, 2020, 10:12 amTwo seats on the Nassau County School Board are up this election cycle. In District 4, incumbent Russell Johnson is being challenged by Cynthia (Cindy) GroomsThis is a non-partisan race open to all voters in the August primary. Scroll down to read candidates’ responses to our News4Jax questionnaire, verbatim as provided. NASSAU COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, District 4Cynthia (Cindy) GroomsThis candidate has not responded to the News4Jax questionnaire. Russell JohnsonThis candidate has not responded to the News4Jax questionnaire.

Two Clay County School Board seats are up for election ballot this year. CLAY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, District 2Beth ClarkParty affiliation: NPAAge: 63Candidate’s family: Husband and one adult sonOccupation: Residential Real EstateEducation: Jacksonville University-BusinessPolitical experience: NoneWhat do you see as the top three issues in this race? Campaign website: (no answer)Campaign’s social media pages: FacebookCarol StuddardParty affiliation: Rep. (Non partisan seat)Age: 75Candidate’s family: Husband, James 3 Grown Daughters, 4 GrandchildrenOccupation: Clay County School Board MemberEducation: University of AlabamaPolitical experience: Clay County School Board Member 7 termsWhat do you see as the top three issues in this race? My many years of experience on the Clay County School Board, including 9 years as Chairman, have given me the historical knowledge that we need in making future decisions. I also take pride that we now have a Performing Arts Elementary School in Clay County.

Two St. Johns County School Board members four-year terms end this year but only one will be on the ballot as one incumbent is running for re-election and drew no opposition. District 5 School Board member Patrick Canan, the current vice-chairman, is unopposed for another term. Maintaining local control- We need to keep our school district great by implementing conservative values that reflect our community Safety- Getting our children back in school in a safe and sanitized environment.Our school district needs to continue participation in the state Guardian program. I have worked for the St. Johns County School District for over 10 years. I will be the most humble, sincere and professional school board member of the St. Johns County School Board.

BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. After an outcry from teachers, the Bradford County School Board on Monday night voted against placing web cameras in classrooms for students who are learning at home. The option was being offered to students in Bradford County, Bradford Innovations, would have allowed registered students to attend their regular classes virtually alongside students who are in the physical classroom. According to the Bradford County School District, it would have allowed students to receive the same instruction as if they were in the classroom for six hours a day. Superintendent Stacey Creighton said last week one of the concerns in a rural school district like Bradford County is internet connections. Weve had internet issues across Bradford County, and obviously this would not be the best fit with those without internet, Creighton added.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. The Clay County School Board will vote Tuesday on whether to push back the start of the school year and if students will be required to wear masks. Clay County schools are scheduled to start on Aug. 11, but the school board will vote on a plan that could push the first day of school back by two weeks. Clay Schools Superintendent Dr. David Broskie said he supports the idea of pushing back the start date to Aug. 24. When school does start, the district is considering four options for student learning during the fall semester:Traditional brick and mortarClay Virtual AcademyOne Clay Online for grades K-12Blended learning (grades 7-12)The school board is also expected to make a decision about requiring students to wear masks. The district is considering making masks mandatory for grades 3 through 12 and will strongly recommend them for kindergarten through second grade.

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. Members of the Flagler County School Board on Tuesday voted 4-1 to adjust the calendar for the 2020-21 school year. That includes delaying the opening of schools for students until Monday, Aug. 24Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt proposed adjusting the start date to provide schools and staff more time to prepare for a safe return to school. Some of the early training will focus on helping teachers and staff adjust to the new learning environments. The districts Calendar Committee -- which is made up of union representatives, teachers, staff and parents -- proposed an updated calendar for the upcoming school year. While approving the delayed school start date, the School Board asked staff to look for opportunities to add additional teacher planning and professional development days throughout the school year.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Teachers and parents didnt hesitate to share their concerns as the latest draft of Duval County Public Schools reopening plan was presented to the School Board on Thursday. They encouraged the Duval County School Board to reconsider all the elements inside the plan. News4Jax was told this may have been the last time they were able to voice their opinions about the plan. Randy Lessen teaches at Sandalwood High, the largest school in Duval County. I think that the school is going to do a good job of keeping them safe and hopefully keeping the teachers safe, as well, said Anne Odell.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. The Nassau County School Board will vote Thursday on its plan to reopen schools and on whether the start of the school year should be delayed. Superintendent Kathy Burns said supports the idea of pushing back the first day of class and thinks the board will agree to the delay. And then the third option is Nassau Virtual. Are we going to hire virtual teachers? The current deadline for parents to select an option for their childs learning this school year is July 29 but that could change after Thursdays School Board meeting.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. The St. Johns County School Board is meeting Tuesday to discuss possibly pushing back the start of the school year. If the board decides to push back, that date will change to Aug. 31. If the board signs off, it could also mean a different date for the last day of school, which would move to June 16. The board is also set to discuss buying desk shields for those students whose families choose to return to the physical classroom. But those shields wouldnt be delivered for three weeks -- after the current Aug. 10 start date -- and that doesnt include time needed for installation.

PALATKA, Fla. The Putnam County superintendent has decided to delay the start of school by two weeks. On Monday, all Putnam County School Board members said they were in favor of the delay, although the School Board will officially approve the decision on Aug. 3. In a parent survey that closed last week, 49.2% chose to send their child to a brick-and-mortar school, 36.3% chose digital learning and 14.5% chose Putnam Virtual School. But that could change depending on if there are more submissions for the digital learning option. She told the School Board on Monday that she plans to delay start times for kindergarten and prekindergarten students in the first week.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. Within the next week, the St. Johns County School Board is expected to set the date to decide when board members will vote on a proposal to delay the start of the school year. Superintendent of Schools Tim Forson said Thursday on The Morning Show that he thinks its a high probability that the start of school in St. Johns County will be delayed by as much as two weeks. Another question many parents are asking is when and where students who choose to return to campus will be expected to wear masks. If there are classrooms where there are a large number of students or where teachers need students to be in small groups in tight areas, they are going to be asked to wear masks, Forson said. The deadline to decide which of the four options you want for your student is Friday in St. Johns County.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. Both the Clay County School Board and Superintendent David Broskie support the idea of pushing back the school start date to Aug. 24. So, given where were at, I think its a wise move.Right now, Clay County schools are set to resume on Aug. 11. The School Board will vote on pushing the start date back during a meeting in two weeks. The question of whether to require masks was a hot-button issue at Tuesdays School Board workshop. Parents and students can make their choice on the Clay County School Districts website.

An issue that school leaders are starting to discuss is custodians and the critical role they will play in fighting the coronavirus when schools reopen. That was a big issue at Tuesday nights Clay County School Board workshop in which the School Board discussed having enough staff to handle deep cleanings of schools if theres a COVID-19 case at a school. In St. Johns County, the school district has 305 active custodians and is working to fill positions for new schools that are being built. In Nassau County, school officials told News4Jax that they will likely be cleaning buses each day and using district personnel to do it. The school district said it has 84 bus drivers and 92 custodians.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. St. Johns County School Board members on Tuesday asked the school district to explore pushing back the school start date to give the district more time to implement COVID-19 safety plans and allow parents to make decisions. The majority of board members asked the district to push back the start date at least two weeks during a regular school board meeting. School board member Patrick Canan opened the meeting by asking the district to push back the start date and he was backed up by nearly every other board member. Board members Tommy Allen and Bev Slough also said they want to push back the start of school. The School Board will vote not on delaying school opening on Tuesday because it is not on the agenda.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. With two young children, it never occurred to Andrea Clark that she might need to create a will. Clark brought her concerns to the St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday during public comment as the district continues to craft back-to-school plans. The vast majority of people who contract the novel coronavirus survive, some said, while others noted that just 12 people have died in St. Johns County since the pandemic began. I realize that only 12 people in St. Johns County have died, but that is 12 people in a go-home quarantine type situation, Clark said. The St. Johns County School Board had to scrap its previous plan that would have closed all campuses under the current COVID-19 conditions.

The Clay County School Board met Tuesday afternoon to talk about reopening schools. They were greeted by dozens of people who showed up, asking the school district to mandate face masks. St. Johns County School Board asks district to push back school start date 2 weeksThe majority of St. Johns County School Board members asked the district to push back the school start date at least two weeks during a regular school board meeting but didnt vote on the change because it wasnt on the agenda. Some said the teacher was being an alarmist, others agreed what the school board decides could be a matter of life or death. As the Duval County School District continued to hash out a back-to-school plan, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office announced Tuesday that it needs to hire crossing guards.

As part of our Facing the Fall coverage, News4Jax is following all the announcements from local school districts about how they plan to address reopening this fall. Read moreSt. JohnsThe St. Johns County School District is planning to require that students wear masks in classrooms and hallways, according to a revised reopening plan released Friday. Read moreNassauThe Nassau County School Board released its plan for reopening during its meeting Thursday night. The plan details three options for elementary (Pre-K-5) and secondary (6-12) students: brick-and-mortar school, school-based distancing learning and Nassau Virtual School. In its reopening plan posted on the districts website, educators said its guidelines were reviewed by the Baker County Health Department.

YULEE, Fla. The day after the Nassau County School Board unveiled its reopening plan, questions remain for educators and parents alike. The plan details three options for elementary (Pre-K-5) and secondary (6-12) students: brick-and-mortar school, school-based distancing learning and Nassau Virtual School. Jamie Vinneau, president of the Nassau Teachers Association, knows the state left local counties without a lot of time to prepare. For courses not available through schoolbased distance learning, students may take the course through Nassau Virtual or Florida Virtual School. Students who chose Nassau Virtual will withdraw from their traditional school and switch their enrollment to Nassau Virtual.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. The Nassau County School Board will release its plan for reopening and its meeting Thursday night. More than 800 Nassau County parents said they are not comfortable sending their kids back to campus. The Nassau County School District last month sent out a survey to get a feel for how many parents were considering in-person versus online learning. And then we work with the health department to do contact tracing.Initially, the Nassau County school board said masks would only be required on buses and during class changes. That may change in the days ahead.The memo asked, before even sending their kids to school, that Nassau County parents check their childs temperature and symptoms.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. St. Johns County School District Superintendent Tim Forson was ready Tuesday morning to present a detailed reopening plan to the School Board. But with the mandate to reopen school campuses in August handed down Monday evening, the presentation, and any reopening plans, have been put on hold. I really believe itd be wise for me today not to walk through a plan that we dont know if it will align with the state executive order that we received yesterday, Forson said. I dont want to present something and then unwind it, and present it again.School board members Beverly Slough and Patrick Canan were critical of the decision by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to issue the order with just over a month to go until the 2020-2021 school year begins on Aug. 10.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. St. Johns County School District Superintendent Tim Forson said Wednesday in a letter to parents that the issue of whether or not to mandate face coverings when school resumes in August has been one of the most challenging issues facing the district. On Tuesday, a day after Jacksonville enacted a mask mandate for indoor spaces, St. Johns County leaders declined to take it up. If the spread of COVID-19 is moderate in St. Johns County, for example, the district could require students to wear masks when riding school buses. If there is no spread or low spread, masks will be strongly encouraged, under the draft plan. The School Board and superintendent will meet again on July 7 for a workshop and are expected to finalize reopening plans during a School Board meeting on July 14.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. Several schools in Northeast Florida are working on their plans to reopen schools in the fall. In Clay County, the School Board is scheduled to meet Thursday night, and a district spokesperson said the Board is expected to set a date for a workshop next month to review the draft reopening plan. During a workshop earlier this month, the Clay County School Board discussed options to reopen, including fully returning to school, distance learning or a blended hybrid model. During the workshop, School Soard members went over the results of a recent survey sent to parents, students and staff. The Clay County School Board Meeting starts at 6 p.m.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – During a workshop meeting Tuesday, the Duval County School Board continued its discussion on the process of reopening schools following months of COVID-19-related challenges. Part of the district’s plan includes the purchase and installation of protective partitions for desks and tables that cannot be placed at least six feet apart. To maintain social distancing, the district’s plan recommends limiting class sizes according to designated grades. Pre-K through second-grade students will be provided reusable face shields and the rest of students will be provided cloth face coverings. More information on the reopening plan can be found on the district’s website.