Johna Daniels, grants and project officer for the Early Learning Coalition of Duval, says federal funding cuts will have an effect on the organization. The coalition serves nearly 17,000 children from low-income families in Jacksonville. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on June 25, 2025 at 3:27 pm
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Gregory Bostic may have another reason to smile in the coming weeks.
The Jean Ribault High School principal kicked off a community town hall on education on Tuesday evening in Downtown Jacksonville.
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The Jacksonville NAACP and Upsilon Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. combined to host “Elections Have Consequences: Education Edition” to inform its membership about the recently, and belatedly, completed Florida legislative session as well as the effect that federal policies may have on Jacksonville students.
Bostic, a proud Alpha man and president of the Upsilon Lambda chapter, was among about 100 people in attendance. Many of the people inside the auditorium at Florida State College at Jacksonville Downtown expressed a commitment to receive and share the information with others in the spirit of the African proverb: each one, teach one.
Duval County Public Schools K-12 update
Duval County Superintendent Christopher Bernier provided a community update — as he has most months since he took the position in July of last year.
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Bernier expects that Duval County Public Schools will receive $400,000 more in state allocation for the 2025-26 academic year than it did for the 2024-25 academic year. However, that figure is dependent on Gov. Ron DeSantis signing the state budget.
Typically, DeSantis has signed the state budget in early June. However, this year’s legislative session ran six weeks long, which curbed the amount of time the DeSantis administration has to review, and eventually sign, the state budget for a fiscal year that begins July 1.
Duval County Public Schools has closed neighborhood schools, in predominantly Black and Latino areas, and reduced the number of periods in high schools from eight to seven in an attempt to close a budget deficit. Bernier told the NAACP on Tuesday evening that he is more concerned about federal reimbursement for the 2026-27 academic year than the academic year that begins in August.
Duval’s first-year superintendent did not leave the dais without teasing some good news. The Florida Department of Education is expected to release data about school performance as early as next week. Bernier says the state Department of Education assured him it will release contextualized data and school grades in early July.
“I will tell you that looking at our raw data … Annie R. Morgan was the lowest performing school in the state last year. It will not be the lowest performing school in the state this year,” Bernier said. “Annie R. Morgan is going to be a ‘C’ if not a ‘B’.”
Annie R. Morgan was closed at the end of the 2025 academic year after 109 years.
“Last year, we had 13 D’s or F’s. We had one F and 12 D’s,” Bernier said of the 2023-24 academic year. “That number is probably going to be less than two (this year).”
Bernier hinted that next month’s school grades will be an overwhelming positive for the district.
“We’ve got schools that have never scored where they’ve scored before,” Bernier said. “We’ve got schools that are looking at letter grades they have only seen or dreamt about. It’s going to be really close for the school district grade.”
Duval has earned a “B” grade from the Florida Department of Education in each of the last eight years grades were recorded.
Ribault was never mentioned by name, but it was implied the Northwest Jacksonville school was among those that might set a new watermark for academic achievement.
Jacksonville Job Corps continues amid uncertainty
Bernier as well as leaders from the Jacksonville Job Corps Center and Early Learning Coalition of Duval provided updates about the effect of proposed federal funding cuts.
Jacksonville Job Corps Center Director Pet Ford said the facility that provides training and job skills for youth from under-resourced communities is open for now, despite an edict from the U.S. Department of Labor to pause operations at the centers by June 30.
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order June 4 after the National Job Corps Administration requested it.
Nationally, the Job Corps program serves about 25,000 people at 120 centers. Ford said the Jacksonville Job Corps currently serves 140 students — out of a capacity of 300 students — and has another 130 staff positions.
Between July 2024 and May 31, Jacksonville ranked 16th out of the 120 Job Corps sites for overall performance. Its percentage of people that remain in the program at least 180 days is fourth-best among the Job Corps network.
Preparing children for kindergarten
Johna Daniels, grants and project officer for the Early Learning Coalition of Duval, expects an $8 million funding reduction for the 2025-26 academic year because of proposed federal funding cuts.
That shortfall means the coalition — which provides early learning for about 17,000 children from low-income families — will prioritize those within the program for the coming academic year.
Daniels implored families to provide proper and complete documentation prior to their individual redetermination date in order for their child to continue their early education at a child care facility.
“With decisions like this, other consequences happen,” Daniels told the audience. “Unfortunately, we will not be able to enroll any new families in the program in order to maintain and sustain the students in the program.”
