Duval staff recommends straight 7 for middle schools, 3-by-3 hybrid for high schools to reduce sections and ease budget gap

Chief of Schools Mr. Schneider recommended that Duval County Public Schools move all middle schools to a straight seven-period day and adopt a 3-by-3 block with a daily “skinny” period for high schools, saying the change would reduce the number of sections needed, increase full-time-equivalent (FTE) funding and help address a projected budget shortfall.

"The task force wasn't put together based upon people that we wanted to change. They were put together based upon if we were making a change, who would be best to give input on where we're going," Mr. Schneider told the school board while presenting the task force's work and final recommendation.

The recommendation followed a months-long task force review that included principals from IB, CTE, ACE and other Duval schools. The staff identified three main schedule options: a straight seven-period day (daily classes of about 45–50 minutes for middle school), a 3-by-3 block with a 100-minute block every other day plus a daily "skinny" period, and a hybrid 3-by-3 that modifies the block on one midweek day. Mr. Schneider said the task force’s preferred option was the 3-by-3 with the skinny for high schools and the straight seven for middle schools.

Why it matters: staff said fewer sections per teacher…