School districts across the Jacksonville area started another year of classes with seemingly few major problems Aug. 11, as school leaders stressed learning a lot and being safe.
“Be safe. Be seen,” Duval County schools Superintendent Christopher Bernier said during a visit to Ed White High School, refraining a message from a traffic-safety campaign started last school year after a run of 13 students being hit by vehicles. At least three students, including an Ed White senior, were killed in the 2024-25 year.
First-morning driving conditions were good, with no rain or fog, but Bernier noted that fall will bring shorter days and increase the need for attention to safety.
More: Southside Estates, Duval schools’ newest elementary, opens. Are you ready for 2025-26 year?
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook started the week warning that threats are taken very seriously by her agency, which reported the day before classes began that a 16-year-old boy had been charged with aggravated stalking after allegedly threatening to shoot another teen once classes started at Orange Park High School.
“Our schools are places for growing and learning without fear of harm,” said a release the Cook’s agency posted on Facebook that reported there was “no immediate evidence” the arrested teen had access to a gun.
Bradford County schools are scheduled to start Aug. 12.
Bernier said bus contractors serving Duval County schools seemed to be having less difficulty finding drivers than in earlier years, noting that wages have increased for some drivers to make the jobs more attractive.
A recurring goal in Duval schools is improving academic performance, as administrators work to sustain the state-issued “A” grade the school district earned in July for 2024-25 performance.
“We’re bringing our ‘A’ game,” said Ed White Principal Traci Battest, whose school improved its mark to a “B” last year and is aiming now for better results.
The Duval district developed a “keys to success” video it posted online, suggesting steps students and families can take to get the most out of the new year.
Brand-new Jean Ribault High School, where the ribbon was only cut Aug. 8 on a new $120.5 million building, hit an opening-day snag when a neighborhood power outage threw it and neighboring Ribault Middle School into darkness about 5:30 a.m., but the lights were back on by 7 a.m.
This report has been updated to include a new video and additional photos.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville-area schools start classes again with few problems
