Megan Mallicoat Reporter email
Megan Mallicoat is a Jacksonville Today reporter focusing on education. Her professional experience includes teaching at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, as well as editing, communications management, web design, and graphic design. She has a doctorate in mass communication with an emphasis in social psychology from UF. In her "free time," you'll most likely find her on the sidelines of some kind of kids’ sports practice, holding a book.
Featured image for “Duval Schools’ HQ move vote delayed; competing offers kept hidden from public  ”
Duval Schools is considering purchasing this building in the Prominence office park to be its new HQ. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
2 days ago

Duval Schools’ HQ move vote delayed; competing offers kept hidden from public  

Tuesday’s vote will now decide whether to authorize the superintendent to negotiate the needed contracts.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Biggest and smallest Florida cities”
August 22, 2025

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Biggest and smallest Florida cities

Separated by just 60 miles and an hour’s drive on I-95, Florida’s biggest city, Jacksonville, and its smallest both sit…

Featured image for “Duval Schools’ prospective buyer plans riverfront retirement community”
A sign outside the Duval Schools headquarters advertises that the property is available on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
August 21, 2025

Duval Schools’ prospective buyer plans riverfront retirement community

The School Board said it chose Fleet Landing’s offer of $20 million among 10 it received.…

Featured image for “Duval Schools could net $6M in HQ move from Downtown to Southside”
Duval Schools' headquarters on Nov. 4, 2024 | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
August 18, 2025

Duval Schools could net $6M in HQ move from Downtown to Southside

Duval Schools is preparing to move the district’s headquarters off of Downtown’s Southbank to the Southside.…

Featured image for “3 Duval students hit by cars in 6 days; School Board members seek solutions”
A crosswalk in front of First Coast High School | Google Maps
August 18, 2025

3 Duval students hit by cars in 6 days; School Board members seek solutions

A First Coast High School student was hit by a car while walking to school on Monday. District officials say…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | COVID still kills”
August 7, 2025

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | COVID still kills

The Jacksonville area is reporting COVID case numbers higher than they’ve been in almost a year.…

Featured image for “Some Duval students will pay $4.25 for lunch, previously free”
Elementary students eat lunch in Canton, Miss., on Aug. 9, 2019. | AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis
August 5, 2025

Some Duval students will pay $4.25 for lunch, previously free

Dozens of Jacksonville schools will start charging for lunch again after a five-year break.…

Featured image for “ACT 4 | Douglas Anderson works to step back into spotlight for the right reasons”
A student rehearses for the 2025 Douglas Anderson Extravaganza at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
July 30, 2025

ACT 4 | Douglas Anderson works to step back into spotlight for the right reasons

How do we know another Douglas Anderson scandal won’t happen? Here’s what the district and school have changed since 2023.…

Featured image for “ACT 3 | Was Douglas Anderson worse than other schools? District data issues make it hard to compare ”
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts students rehearse for the 2025 Douglas Anderson Extravaganza at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
July 29, 2025

ACT 3 | Was Douglas Anderson worse than other schools? District data issues make it hard to compare 

Did something about the school lead teachers to misbehave? Did being an arts school play a part?…

Featured image for “ACT 2 | Douglas Anderson student accusers lacked faith in school’s response ”
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts students rehearse for the 2025 Douglas Anderson Extravaganza at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
July 28, 2025

ACT 2 | Douglas Anderson student accusers lacked faith in school’s response 

Part 2 of The Show Must Go On, based on tens of thousands of pages of records, as well as…

Featured image for “Ex-Duval teachers’ union VP to plead guilty”
The Duval Teachers United building on July 27, 2025. | Jessica Palombo, Jacksonville Today
July 27, 2025

Ex-Duval teachers’ union VP to plead guilty

Ruby George was charged last year with 12 counts of fraud.…

Featured image for “ACT 1 | Douglas Anderson teacher received mostly ‘unofficial’ discipline before arrest”
A Douglas Anderson School of the Arts student rehearses for the 2025 Extravaganza at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. Extravaganza dates back to 1986 and has served as one of the highlights of the school's academic calendar. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
July 27, 2025

ACT 1 | Douglas Anderson teacher received mostly ‘unofficial’ discipline before arrest

This is the first in a series, The Show Must Go On, examining the handling of reports of teacher misconduct…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Jacksonville’s purchasing power”
July 18, 2025

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Jacksonville’s purchasing power

Take a look at the money Jacksonville spends.…

Featured image for “Teacher loses license after conviction for Disney exposure”
The Orange County Courthouse. | Google via Central Florida Public Media
June 27, 2025

Teacher loses license after conviction for Disney exposure

Christopher Allen-Black will serve 12 months’ probation for exposing himself at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | St. Johns’ high rate of boating accidents”
Data: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. | Chart: Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
June 13, 2025

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | St. Johns’ high rate of boating accidents

Florida loves its boating, with more than 1 million seaworthy vessels registered in just the last year. At the same…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | House prices trend downward”
May 30, 2025

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | House prices trend downward

Our Number of the Week is the median price for a home in the Jacksonville metro area: about $392,000.…

Featured image for “Some Duval students will have to start paying for lunch”
In a file photo, a student puts apple slices on his tray during lunch at Central high School in St. Paul, Minnesota. | Jim Mone, AP
May 21, 2025

Some Duval students will have to start paying for lunch

About a quarter of Jacksonville’s schools will lose a COVID-era free-lunch benefit in September.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Florida’s Catholic School boom”
May 9, 2025

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Florida’s Catholic School boom

With a brand new pope chosen in the past couple of days, our Number of the Week reflects Floridians’ love…

Featured image for “Duval Schools changes sex ed, employee conduct policies ”
The Duval County School Board votes on a change to remove mention of women- and minority-owned businesses in one of its policies on May 6, 2025. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today.
May 7, 2025

Duval Schools changes sex ed, employee conduct policies 

Teachers are now required to use only the district’s approved tools to contact students, plus other changes the school board…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | #AskJAXTDY: Florida Lottery $ for schools”
Chart by Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
April 25, 2025

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | #AskJAXTDY: Florida Lottery $ for schools

Jacksonville Today reader Mark L. wonders if the Florida Lottery is contributing to public education like proponents promised.…

Featured image for “Lake Shore Middle teacher’s assistant, arrested for child abuse, says she acted in self-defense”
Lake Shore Middle School | Google
April 21, 2025

Lake Shore Middle teacher’s assistant, arrested for child abuse, says she acted in self-defense

A teacher’s assistant arrested after punching a student says she was defending herself.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Hurricane predictions vs. reality”
April 11, 2025

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Hurricane predictions vs. reality

Comparing Colorado State University’s April hurricane season predictions with the actual number of storms each year.…

Featured image for “School districts beg Florida lawmakers not to slash bonuses for accelerated students”
April 9, 2025

School districts beg Florida lawmakers not to slash bonuses for accelerated students

Florida’s education funding could cost local districts millions if incentives for accelerated programs are reduced.…

Featured image for “Duval School Board removes district’s first challenged book, ‘Identical’”
Duval School Board member Tony Ricardo is one of the six who voted to remove the book Identical. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
April 2, 2025

Duval School Board removes district’s first challenged book, ‘Identical’

With a 6-1 vote, the Duval County School Board voted to permanently remove a book called Identical from its libraries.…