Local
Northside Parents Press Duval Schools on Staffing, Support as Three Elementary Schools Prepare to Merge
Pickettville, Reynolds Lane and S.A. Hull elementary schools will combine into a new 1,000-student campus for 2027-28, and parents are asking district leaders to guarantee certified teachers and a smooth transition. A principal will be chosen in January, with transportation sign-ups in April and new boundaries taking effect next fall.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. â Parents on the Northside are pressing Duval County school officials for answers about staffing, teacher qualifications and family support as three elementary schools move toward a single new campus.
Pickettville Elementary, Reynolds Lane Elementary and S.A. Hull Elementary are scheduled to merge in about nine months, when a building now under construction is set to open for the 2027-28 school year. The campus is designed to hold roughly 1,000 students.
District officials recently briefed families on the consolidation. Leaders say construction remains on track, but parents want assurances that their concerns will be resolved before students move.
Mable Owens, whose child attends a gifted pre-K program at S.A. Hull, said small schools foster a sense of community that is hard to replace.
âI think, honestly, theyâre probably still figuring things out,â Owens said. âS.A. Hull is a smaller school and thereâs an essence to that, that you kind of know everybody and the kids know each other. So, Iâm going to be hopeful.â
Owens also raised questions about classroom quality and teacher certification, citing her familyâs past experience.
âI do feel like there should be a real teacher in there thatâs certified and that even if they are certified that they care,â she said. âAnd theyâre showing that through benchmarks and testing and engagement. And I donât think that thatâs the last couple years. Thatâs not been the case for me and my children.â
School board member Reginald Blount acknowledged that consolidation brings challenges for students and teachers and said the district is working to meet staffing needs.
âKids get used to that especially at the elementary school level and the district will be working on that,â Blount said. âThose teachers will have an opportunity to come to school and hopefully it will be a good transition.â
The district is also searching for a principal to lead the new campus. The job has been posted, and officials plan to make a selection in January.
Transportation registration for students will open in April. New attendance boundaries will take effect in the fall of next year.
The merger is one of several enrollment and facilities decisions facing the district as it balances aging buildings with shifting student populations. For Northside families, the coming months will determine how smoothly children move from three familiar schools into one larger campus.