Duval School Board rejects proposals to move district headquarters
The Duval County School Board is staying put on the Southbank... At least for the foreseeable future.
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The board rejected two potential proposals to move the school district’s headquarters Tuesday.
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Board members narrowly rejected a proposal to move district operations into the Florida Blue building on a 3-4 vote.
The proposal would have cost the district $68 million over the course of a 20-year lease.
At $3.4 million a year, it would have cost roughly $1 million more than the district expects to pay on an annual basis remaining in its current home.
The district projected it would generate about $10 million from the sale of its Southbank properties, but board members were told the money could not be used to pay off the lease.
READ: Three schools in one, board to vote on next step in DCPS consolidation plan
Instead, the lease would have had to be paid for with general funds.
“The notion that I’m going to take money out of general that could be used to save people that support schools and helps schools or saves positions in schools is a struggle for me,” said Board Member Kelly Coker (District 1).
Other school board members suggested potentially selling other district properties to help offset the cost.
They argued the district has overstayed its welcome on the prime, riverfront, real estate it currently occupies.
“My concern is it’s never gonna happen. Because when is it actually gonna be the right time to do it?” said Board Vice Chair Charlotte Joyce (District 6).
WATCH: DCPS discussing moving headquarters
Others countered there is a low likelihood the Southbank property would actually be developed into an asset for the city anytime soon.
“The Landing. Nothing’s happening. The old courthouse. Nothing’s happening. Those two riverfront sites nothing’s happening,” said Board Member Warren Jones (District 5).
The board also universally rejected a proposal from JTA that would have involved the agency building a new headquarters for DCPS in LaVilla and leasing it to the district for a much higher price tag of $128 million over 20 years.
School Board Chair Darryl Willie (District 4) told Action News Jax at the end of the day, the board had to keep taxpayers’ best interest in mind.
READ: Students’ rights organizations holding book ban protest outside DCPS headquarters
“$20 million is a lot of money that could be in classrooms. So, at the end of the day that’s our ultimate goal is to make sure student achievement is at the highest level possible and we never want to take dollars out of classrooms,” said Willie.
DCPS no longer being in the market for the Florida Blue building, likely comes as good news to another local agency.
JSO has also been eyeing that property as a potential new home.
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