Q: Can you address the potential ballot initiative proposed by the school district?
A: At our February workshop, we began the discussion of placing a ballot initiative on the November ballot to add 1 mill of property tax to help fund our operational needs. It would have a four year term and then need to be voted on again. It would generate approximately $52 million per year. The school board will have to vote formally to do this and then the Board of County Commissioners will have to approve the initiative for placement on the ballot.
Q: What kinds of things would this fund?
A: Most importantly, it will help us increase our compensation for employees, including teachers, which will help with our retention. Duval, Nassau, and Clay counties all have a tax like this to help support them and they are therefore able to pay their teachers and employees more. Additional items that the additional 1 mill would fund would be safety improvements, additional training, enhancements to performing arts in our schools, support for high school athletics and summer daycare for our summer employees.
Q: Can you shed light on the recent news that all schools will soon have just one nurse?
A: We are at a place where we have to reset our budget; this is all a matter of resources. We’ve depleted our reserves to a point we don’t like and it is also affecting our bonding ability. Nurses are paid through the general fund; we receive no funding for school nurses and in fact, we are among a minority of schools in the state to have a nurse in each school at all. We are so grateful to be able to have a nurse in each school. We want to meet our students’ needs. We hope to address this further if the 1 mill initiative passes in November.
Q: What’s the latest on the new school construction?
A: At our mid-February board meeting, our bond counsel was in attendance and we formally agreed to borrow up to $170 million to build our two newest K-8 schools in Nocatee and Silverleaf. We will go to the market the first week of March. These two schools are scheduled to open at the start of the 2026 – 27 school year.
The two schools opening this fall are on schedule and we are in the process of staffing these schools. Principals are reviewing internal applications and conducting interviews; they will open to external applicants in April. Site work continues on schedule at the RiverTown school, which is scheduled to open in August 2025.
Q: Do you have anything else to share with District 1?
A: We are saddened to have lost our former colleague, Bill Mignon. He served our county for 56 years, beginning as a teacher and then as principal of RB Hunt Elementary, Nease, and Pedro Menendez. After he retired, he ran for the school board and served 12 years. He was a pillar in our education community and he will be greatly missed.
Q: How can our readers contact you?
A: They can email me at beverly.slough@stjohns.k12.fl.us or call me at (904) 547-7510.
