June 13, 2024 – In front of family, friends, and dozens of his law enforcement peers, Jackson Short was sworn in this morning as the district’s new Chief of School Police by Jacksonville Sheriff, T.K. Waters. “I hope to bring honor to this badge we all share together,” Short shared. “I am humbled and honored […]
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June 5, 2024 — A dream was fulfilled for hundreds of Ruth N. Upson Elementary students recently as school and community leaders cut the ribbon on a brand-new playground. “It was so cool to cut the ribbon,” said Olivia Mueller, a fourth grader at the school. “I think the playground is super fun and has […]
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Nov. 27, 2023 – Duval County School Police Department’s K9 Maverick has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Maverick’s vest was sponsored by Barbara Napolitano of OakBrook, IL and embroidered with the sentiment “Gifted by B. Napolitano”. Vested Interest in […]
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Aug. 24, 2023 – Duval County School Police Department’s K9 Maverick will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Maverick’s vest is sponsored by Barbara Napolitano of Oak Brook, IL and will be embroidered with the sentiment “Gifted by B. Napolitano.” […]
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June 5, 2023 – There are a couple new top dogs in town! A Belgian Malinois named Maverick and a Chesapeake Bay Retriever/Poodle mix named LEO are two new furry additions to the Duval County School Police force, fulfilling a years-long goal of district leaders to create a K9 unit. While LEO is still in […]
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April 20, 2023 – Cars speeding through school zones have been a long-term safety concern for the Duval school community. It’s something that Duval County School Police (DCSP) Chief Greg Burton has taken note of during his two years in the role, and it’s what led him to create the new School Police Traffic Safety […]
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April 13, 2023 – “Assured and reassured.” They’re words parent Jeffrey Rumlin used to describe how he feels about the recently installed Evolv Technology weapons-screening system at Riverside High School. “As a parent, I and others should not be naive to what school administrators have to face,” said Rumlin, who is also the school’s parent […]
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Sept. 23, 2022 – The Florida Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools has found that Duval County Public Schools needs to improve its reporting of incidents related to gang activity or expression in its disciplinary incident reporting. The district received this finding in a letter received via email the evening of Sept. 22. The […]
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June 9, 2022 – Summer programs in Duval County Public Schools begin on June 13, and the district is asking families to leave student backpacks at home. In the interest of campus security and student safety, backpacks will not be allowed in school buildings for most students. If students need to bring a backpack for […]
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June 7, 2022 – “Regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, every student should feel safe in every one of our schools every day.” That is the first sentence in the introduction to the “Support for LGBTQ+ Students” section of a new comprehensive student support guide scheduled for completion this summer. In […]
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