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 “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | St. Johns County’s housing boom”
November 15, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | St. Johns County’s housing boom

After the St. Johns County elections, the County Commission has a majority of commissioners who campaigned on a platform of…

Featured image for “Duval Schools chief cleared on racial claim; commits to improve employee treatment”
Superintendent Christopher Bernier on June 12, 2024 | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
November 13, 2024

Duval Schools chief cleared on racial claim; commits to improve employee treatment

An investigation found the superintendent did not racially discriminate against an employee in Lee County.…

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A sign on the Jacksonville Jaguars' field on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, encourages Duval County residents to vote. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
November 8, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Duval’s presidential preferences

Republicans, who make up about 36% of Duval’s registered voters, overperformed, with 41% of the ballots in Tuesday’s election.…

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Duval Schools' headquarters on Nov. 4, 2024 | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
November 6, 2024

Duval Schools needs to find $97M. But where?

School closures don’t begin to fill the gap in Duval Schools’ budget.…

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Reggie Blount won a position on the Duval County School Board on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. He defeated Hank Rogers for a seat as the District 5 representative. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
November 5, 2024

Blount’s victory seals Duval School Board’s conservative majority

Reginald Blount focused his campaign on conservative talking points that emphasize cultural issues.…

Featured image for “3 Duval elementary schools will close soon; 3 more after a year”
School Board Chair Darryl Willie and member Charlotte Joyce listen as a community member advocates to keep her neighborhood school open. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
November 5, 2024

3 Duval elementary schools will close soon; 3 more after a year

6 Jacksonville elementary schools will close — but only half at the end of the current school year as originally proposed. …

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The Duval Schools administration building. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
November 1, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | What it costs to run a school

The schools that are slated to close aren’t necessarily the most expensive to operate.…

Featured image for “Duval School Board election is Tuesday in district bearing brunt of school closures”
The Duval County School Board will vote on a proposal to close Hidden Oaks Elementary School and consolidate it with Cedar Hills Elementary School, along with six other school closures/consolidations, on Nov. 4. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
November 1, 2024

Duval School Board election is Tuesday in district bearing brunt of school closures

Jacksonville Today asked the two School Board candidates their thoughts on school closures in the district they want to represent.…

Featured image for “School Board skeptical on school closures, but supe warns against kicking can down road”
Eugene Butler football team members line up before the School Board meeting in support of keeping open the Young Men's Leadership Academy program at their school. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
October 29, 2024

School Board skeptical on school closures, but supe warns against kicking can down road

A vote is coming Monday on whether to close six elementary schools and discontinue the Young Men’s and Women’s Leadership…

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Cedar Hills Elementary Principal Marva McKinney looks out toward a gathering in the school's cafetorium on Oct. 17. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
October 27, 2024

Duval Schools asked to consider equity, community impact of school closures

Some parents, community members and activists are watching school closures warily and demanding the district consider equity — and not…

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The Duval County Supervisor of Elections office provides signs in English and Spanish outside the Duval County Public Library Mandarin Branch location to notify voters where they can cast their ballot. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
October 25, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Early voter turnout

Early voting is going on now in counties around Florida’s First Coast.…

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October 18, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Florida voter registration

See how Florida voter party affiliation has changed each election since 2008.…

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Duval School Board member-elect Tony Ricardo appears on "First Coast Connect" in July of 2024. | First Coast Connect
October 14, 2024

Duval School Board member pushes storm-related conspiracy theories

Tony Ricardo is among the elected officials sharing hurricane-related content that’s misleading or incorrect on social media.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Milton’s local impacts”
St. Augustine Beach as seen at high tide on Oct. 10, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Milton. | Dave Gales, special to Jacksonville Today
October 11, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Milton’s local impacts

The St. Johns River reached record high level for mid-October in Downtown Jacksonville because of Hurricane Milton.…

Featured image for “Investigator tried to get arrested Duval teacher removed twice — and was denied ”
The Dolphin Resort, where a teacher was arrested in February, nearly two months before being removed from his classroom at Douglas Anderson. | Loren Javier/Flickr, used under Creative Commons license
October 7, 2024

Investigator tried to get arrested Duval teacher removed twice — and was denied 

Duval Schools was criticized for waiting too long to remove an arrested teacher.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Domestic violence is down”
Hubbard House CEO Gail Patin plants a row of purple flags in front of the Duval County Courthouse on Sept. 29, 2023. Each flag represented a victim of domestic abuse who filed an injunction against their abuser. | Dan Scanlan
October 4, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Domestic violence is down

Domestic violence homicides were down in Duval last year.…

Featured image for “Duval School Board clears path toward closing 18 schools”
Members of Raines High School's national alumni association gather before a School Board meeting Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
October 2, 2024

Duval School Board clears path toward closing 18 schools

The board approved a five-year plan that suggests closing schools, but more votes and meetings would be required.…

Featured image for “Duval’s 15-year school closure plan up for a vote Tuesday”
Annie R. Morgan Elementary has served students on Jacksonville’s Westside since 1916. It’s named after an early 20th century educator who was on the faculty at what was then named Woodstock Park Elementary. The Duval County school district is considering whether to close the school at the end of the 2025 academic year. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
September 29, 2024

Duval’s 15-year school closure plan up for a vote Tuesday

Duval Schools’ proposal to close more than schools over the next 15 years is up for a board vote on…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Proposed school closures”
Annie R. Morgan Elementary may be forever padlocked if the Duval County School Board approves a district plan to close the school after the end of the 2024 academic year. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
September 26, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Proposed school closures

Two dozen more schools could close in Duval County over the next 15 years.…

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A community working group considers the draft school closure plan on Sept. 24, 2024. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
September 24, 2024

Duval could close 12 elementary schools within 5 years

Six more Duval County schools have been added to a potential closure list for the next five years — adding…

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September 20, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | County sales surtaxes

See the local sales tax add-ons in each Florida county.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Jacksonville’s Bridges”
The Mathews Bridge, as seen from the Arlington Marina, connects Downtown Jacksonville with Arlington. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
September 13, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Jacksonville’s Bridges

How many people drive across each of Jacksonville’s bridges on an average day…

Featured image for “Douglas Anderson hired teacher after state said he was drunk at previous school — now he’s removed for alleged misconduct”
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts on Sept. 12, 2024 | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
September 12, 2024

Douglas Anderson hired teacher after state said he was drunk at previous school — now he’s removed for alleged misconduct

State records show that at the time the arts school hired him, he was facing state discipline for having been…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Jacksonville Jaguars fun facts”
Josh Hines-Allen (41) and Roy Robertson Harris (95) lead the Jaguars onto the field during a Monday Night Football game on Monday, Dec. 4, 2024. The Jaguars lost in overtime to the Cincinnati Bengals. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
September 6, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Jacksonville Jaguars fun facts

Add up all of Trevor Lawrence’s passing yards and you get roughly the distance from EverBank Stadium to the jaguar…