The Duval County Public Schools Board this week demonstrated its disdain for the idea of an elected superintendent with its unanimous support of a resolution opposing the suggestion.
The proposal to convert the position from an appointed to an elected one is included in a bill sponsored by Jacksonville State Representative Jason Fischer. Fischer is a former school board member.
The resolution approved by the school board notes that the district lost its accreditation in the mid-1960s, which is the last time Duval had an elected superintendent.
In the meantime, the school board continues to wait for the Jacksonville City Council to schedule a public vote on a proposed half-cent sales tax.
The referendum measure was withdrawn during a contentious City Council meeting in August.
District 10 City Councilwoman Brenda Priestly Jackson, who is also a former school board member, was one of five council members who voted against the withdrawal. She explained her reasoning this morning on WJCT’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross.
“I’d like to see the Duval County School Board overlay whatever their plan is for facilities with student achievement. I’m hopeful that with doing that in some future conversations that we can get it before the voters and we can make a decision on it,” Priestly Jackson said.
The full interview with Priestly Jackson is available here.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter at @cydwjctnews.
