Q: Do you have an update on the pool to be built at Atlantic Coast High School?
A: The pool at Atlantic Coast High School is currently in the design phase. We anticipate groundbreaking in fall 2023. The current timeline has a build time of about a year, so we anticipate completion in fall 2024.
Q: Are any of the funds from the half penny sales tax being used in District 7?
A: In the pipeline, we have the additional wing at Mandarin High School, which is in the design phase. The project should commence in 2024 and take about two years. We anticipate completion in 2026.
The modernization of Loretto Elementary School is also in the design phase. Parts of the campus will be rebuilt, but the original school building will be preserved. The renovation and rebuild will occur to the later-added buildings. Also, the current portable classrooms will be replaced with permanent classroom space.
Q: What are the updates from two committees that have citizens from District 7 serving on them — the school board’s Audit Advisory Committee and the Half Penny Referendum Oversight Committee?
A: Paul Numbers is the District 7 representative on the Audit Advisory Committee and he is currently serving as chair of the committee. He is a Navy veteran and has a business degree with an emphasis on accounting from the University of North Florida. This committee’s goal is to ensure transparency between the district and the community. Also, this Audit Advisory Committee will be responsible for overseeing the dollars brought in by the increased millage. They will oversee that the funds are allocated and spent as defined by the superintendent.
Allison Busuttil is the District 7 representative on the Half Penny Referendum Oversight Committee. She has represented our district since 2020 and I just extended her term through December 2024. She grew up in the Duval County Public School system and has an engineering degree from the University of Florida. The Half Penny Oversight Committee oversees the projects and assures that the dollars from the half penny sales tax are spent appropriately. There is a dashboard on the district website that shows the status of each project and the amount of money spent (https://dcps.duvalschools.org/Page/29838). One thing that this committee did recently was request that charter schools report to the committee as to how their money is being spent.
Q: How can our readers contact you?
A: They can email me at HersheyL@duvalschools.org or call me at (904) 390-2375.
