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 “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…

Featured image for “Duval Schools asked to consider equity, community impact of school closures”
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…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Early voter turnout”
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.…

Featured image for “Duval School Board member pushes storm-related conspiracy theories”
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.…

Featured image for “Duval could close 12 elementary schools within 5 years”
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…

Featured image for “Duval School Board OKs employee ethics policies aimed at keeping kids safer”
Duval Schools HQ | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
September 3, 2024

Duval School Board OKs employee ethics policies aimed at keeping kids safer

The Duval County School Board unanimously and with little discussion Tuesday approved new employee ethics and professional standards policies.  Tuesday’s…

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August 29, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Jacksonville Jobs

See where people in the Jacksonville area voted most in this week’s local elections.…

Featured image for “Another Douglas Anderson teacher accused of misconduct”
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
August 29, 2024

Another Douglas Anderson teacher accused of misconduct

The teacher has been reassigned after allegations they engaged in inappropriate communication with a student during the 2022-23 school year.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Most Northeast Florida voters stayed home in August”
August 22, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Most Northeast Florida voters stayed home in August

See where people in the Jacksonville area voted most in this week’s local elections.…

Featured image for “Duval School Board: 2 Moms for Liberty candidates elected; Pearson wins narrowly”
Cindy Pearson (seen here speaking at a board meeting on May 23, 2024) was reelected by a margin of less than 300 votes. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
August 20, 2024

Duval School Board: 2 Moms for Liberty candidates elected; Pearson wins narrowly

The Duval County School Board will have a Moms for Liberty majority in the fall.…

Featured image for “NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Big bucks in Duval School Board elections”
August 15, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK | Big bucks in Duval School Board elections

INTERACTIVE | See how money flows from PACs to the Duval School Board candidates…

Featured image for “Republican-backed School Board candidates key on parental rights”
About two dozen people stand in the rain outside Duval school district headquarters on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. The rally was organized by Public School Defenders and Families for Strong Public Schools, two Jacksonville advocacy groups. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
August 9, 2024

Republican-backed School Board candidates key on parental rights

Parental rights are again a topic of conversation because of the prominent role they play in Florida’s increasingly partisan school…

Featured image for “School Board candidates find common ground at final forum”
District 7 candidates Sarah Mannion, left, and Melody Bolduc discuss the issues facing Duval's schools at a forum Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. | Jacksonville Public Education Fund, screenshot
August 2, 2024

School Board candidates find common ground at final forum

District 7 School Board candidates Melody Bolduc and Sarah Mannion discussed the issues Thursday.…