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Parents, military families and alumni press Duval board to spare Anchor Academy and accelerate Raines rebuild
Summary
During the public comment period more than a dozen speakers urged the board not to close Anchor Academy—highlighting its high military‑student population—and asked that William Marion Raines High School be moved earlier in the rebuild sequence after decades of disrepair. Speakers asked for continued engagement and that budget decisions account for student stability.
Dozens of parents, staff and alumni used the board’s public comment period to press Duval County School Board members to spare Anchor Academy from proposed consolidation plans and to accelerate plans to rebuild William Marion Raines High School.
Ted Corley, who identified himself as a longtime patron of Spring Park Elementary and community member, opened the portion of public comment focused on Anchor: “I’m here tonight to express my disapproval of closing Anchor Academy,” he told the board, stressing that about 85–90% of Anchor’s students come from military families and that the school provides crucial stability for children who move frequently.
Several Anchor staff and parents echoed that point. Elise Keith, who said she has been the school counselor at Anchor Academy for seven of her 24 years at Duval County, told the board that military children face repeated transitions and elevated anxiety: “90% of Anchor Academy’s population consist of military children...the long term effects of children of a deployed parent are decreased grades, anxiety, isolation,” she said.
Alumni and community leaders also pressed the board on William Marion Raines High School, urging staff and trustees to keep Raines in an earlier rebuild phase (phase 2) rather than delaying it. Jesse Wilcox, a Raines alumnus and district representative, said the school’s facility conditions are critical and asked the board to prioritize its rebuilding: “We want Raines to be rebuilt now,” he said.
Board members repeatedly told commenters that the vote on the five‑year capital plan was a funding allocation and not a direct vote to close any school, and that any consolidation would follow a multi‑step policy process including community meetings and a public hearing before a board vote. Superintendent Dr. Bernier reminded the room that policy requires engagement and a defined three‑step path before closures can occur.
What happens next: the board directed staff to continue community engagement and to proceed with the public meetings and hearing steps required by board policy for any consolidation consideration. Speakers asked the board to consider the district’s special responsibilities to military families and pushed for clearer assurances about services and continuity should a site change go forward.
