Duval County Public Schools faces surplus of 75 teachers as school year begins

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools has a surplus of approximately 75 teachers, which the district said will be reassigned to a new school.

It’s a process that happens every year. The district said, “At the beginning of each school year when there are shifts in student enrollment, staffing is adjusted accordingly.”

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However, this year, some teachers fear the process will lead to larger class sizes after the district already announced staff cuts in April would lead to increased class sizes this school year.

Chris Guerrieri, a veteran DCPS teacher, said the process of reassigning staff also means some students will get a new teacher.

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“That first month of school, you’re laying down the rules, you’re setting up routines. You’re setting the tone for the entire year,” he said. “The kid has been with the same teacher for five weeks. Then all of a sudden, they’re switched to another class with another teacher. It’s like the whole class has to start over.”

Action News Jax told you when the district announced staffing cuts in August. DCPS said financial challenges forced hundreds of positions to be cut and class sizes increased by up to four students over the state-recommended average.

“Classes were already bigger. If they’re surplussing already bigger classes, that means they’ll be even larger,” Guerrieri said.

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In 2002, Florida voters approved an amendment setting limits on the number of students in a classroom, but after a change last year, districts no longer face a fine for failing to meet standards.

A DCPS representative said the district will continue to monitor class sizes throughout the school year.

The statement went on to say, “Teachers and staff may be surplussed, but they are not cut. We do anticipate moving surplussed teachers into existing vacancies as the school year progresses.”

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