DCPS superintendent talks safety, budget cuts during first day on job

Duval County Public Schools’ new superintendent had her first day on the job Monday, facing a $62 million budget shortfall.

Dr. Diana Greene told Action News Jax her No. 1 priority is school safety.

Ten guns were found on Duval County Public Schools campuses last school year.

Green's predecessor Dr. Nikolai Vitti opposed putting metal detectors in schools.

Interim superintendent Dr. Patricia Willis said she was open to the idea.

Action News Jax asked Greene how she felt about adding metal detectors on campus.

“One of my priorities is to visit all of the high schools during the month of July to see the makeup of each campus and, after those visits, it will be easier for me to make a decision as to whether I would be open to metal detectors. In my former school district, we used mobile metal detectors. They’re called wands and they were very effective,” said Greene.

Action News Jax asked how Greene is going to make up the district’s $62 million budget shortfall next school year.

Greene said the finance department has already been working on it and families should expect to see a budget proposal presented to the school board this month.

“Many of the cuts are about movement. We had to surplus teachers,” said Greene.

Action News Jax reported in May that “surplusing” means some teachers are being transferred to different schools if their current school is losing positions.

Greene also said to expect music, art and physical education to see some of the biggest budget cuts.

You can watch Action News Jax’s full interview with Greene on Action News Jax Sunday.

Cox Media Group