JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Parents and some Duval County School Board members are questioning the future of Ortega Elementary School after learning the historic campus could soon be declared surplus property. Now, Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier says the proposal should not come as a surprise because the district approved the plan years ago.
During an agenda committee meeting, Dr. Bernier pointed to the district’s 2019 Master Facilities Plan, which he said called for Ortega Elementary students to eventually merge into a newly rebuilt Venetia Elementary School.
“This is not a surprise,” Bernier told board members.
According to the district’s top leader, the board approved the plan in 2019 as part of a broader effort to address aging facilities and declining enrollment.
Still, several school board members questioned whether the district has effectively communicated its plans to families and the community.
Board member Reginald Blount said he has concerns about the sale of district properties. Board member Melody Bolduc said some people feel caught off guard by the proposal. Board member Cindy Pearson also acknowledged she could not remember when the board voted on the plan.
Ortega parents, Erin and Alex Stone, told Action News Jax they expected district leaders to hold a community meeting before any vote involving the school’s future.
“They were going to do a town hall or a meeting or some sort of organized community aspect, and so we are wondering why are they voting to surplus it before that happens,” Erin Stone said.
Much of Tuesday’s discussion centered on the district’s process for closing schools and whether families have received enough information about what comes next for Ortega Elementary.
The issue is expected to come before the school board on July 1.
If board members vote to declare Ortega Elementary surplus property, the historic campus could eventually be sold. If the measure fails, district leaders say it could delay plans for a new Venetia Elementary School.
Under the current timeline, Venetia Elementary would be demolished this winter, construction would begin next spring, and a new school would open in the fall of 2028. Former Ortega Elementary students would attend the rebuilt campus.
Bernier warned board members that a vote against declaring Ortega surplus could force the district to pause the project.
“If you decide not to declare it surplus in your vote on July 1, then I probably have to suspend the building of Venetia,” Bernier said.
The Duval County School Board is expected to vote on the proposal at its next meeting.
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