COVENANT ACTION PLAN · JACKSONVILLE 2027–2031
Closed Schools Revival
Work with the Duval County School Board to study reopening or repurposing suitable closed campuses for education and community opportunity.
What the plan would do
This proposal begins with public facts, neighborhood input and the legal authority of each responsible agency. The mayor can recommend, coordinate, budget and administer within the office’s authority, while many major actions require City Council, independent authorities, the School Board, private partners or other public approvals.
- Inventory closed and underused campuses with the School Board
- Assess building condition, enrollment need, ownership, cost and neighborhood demand
- Prioritize viable Westside and Northside locations for proposed new investment
- Consider schools, trades, youth programs, community services or mixed educational reuse through lawful public approval
Where proposed construction belongs
This plan does not propose another new riverfront building. Any new campaign construction concept described here would be studied for a suitable Westside or Northside site. Existing buildings in other parts of Jacksonville may still be repaired, maintained or reused without being presented as new riverfront construction.
Bringing suitable closed schools back
Closed campuses can represent both a loss and an opportunity, but reopening is not a mayor-only decision. The administration would invite Duval County Public Schools, affected neighborhoods, educators, students and fiscal experts to evaluate each suitable property. A campus could return as a school where enrollment and educational evidence support it, or become a trades, youth, health, recreation or community-learning site when lawful reuse better serves the neighborhood.
No building would reopen without condition inspections, operating-cost analysis, transportation planning, security review, accessibility work and a sustainable program partner. The public would see the options, costs and decision path before commitments are made.
How residents will measure delivery
Before asking for credit, the administration would publish a baseline, named responsibility, proposed funding source, approval path, milestones and an honest status. Quarterly reporting would show what moved, what stalled, what changed and why.
Campaign proposal only. Construction, reuse, funding and operations require feasibility review, lawful approvals and public accountability. Political advertisement paid for and approved by Fitz Desprez, Republican, for Mayor.
