JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Some Duval County parents say they were notified in a letter that their children will have to move to a new school building — and they are demanding answers.
Families at Don Brewer Elementary received a letter dated February 11 informing them that students will relocate to Merrill Road Elementary beginning in the 2026–2027 school year. The letter also stated that GRASP Academy, currently located on Justina Road, will move into the Don Brewer campus.
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In a statement to Action News Jax, the district said the consolidation of Don Brewer and Merrill Road was approved two years ago as part of efforts to address budget shortfalls, declining enrollment and underutilized facilities. The timeline was pushed back last spring to the 2026–2027 school year.
Duval County Public Schools says the consolidation of Don Brewer and Merrill Road, and the relocation of GRASP Academy, are two separate decisions that have been discussed together but were made on different timelines and for different reasons.
Yasmina White, a parent of two DCPS students, said she believes moving GRASP Academy students into a newer building with larger classrooms is positive — but she takes issue with how the information was shared.
“I believe this is a good decision for the GRASP community. They will be in a newer school … with bigger classrooms,” White said. “However, where the district dropped the ball on this was not sharing that information when Merrill and Don Brewer were consolidating.”
White said she was surprised the relocation had not been publicly discussed sooner.
“It surprises me because I’m very involved in district matters, board business … it surprised me that this has not come up publicly in the last 6-8 months,” she said.
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White said she is also concerned about safety at Merrill Road Elementary.
“I feel like consolidating children into the Merrill Road location is dangerous for the safety of our children and our community,” she said.
Parents have raised concerns about traffic disruption, parking lot congestion and dismissal-time safety.
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White said the changes directly affect families like hers.
“It impacts me because I live down the street from all the schools. I live down the street from Don Brewer. I live around the corner from GRASP. I live around the corner from Merrill,” she said.
DCPS says GRASP Academy is a district-run school, not a charter school. The program is tailored to meet the needs of students who fit the dyslexia profile.
Here is the full statement from DCPS:
“It is important to clearly distinguish between two separate decisions that have been discussed together but are independent of one another and were made on different timelines for different reasons:
- The consolidation of Don Brewer and Merrill Road Elementary beginning in 2026–2027
- The relocation of GRASP Academy to the Don Brewer campus beginning in 2026–2027
“The Don Brewer/Merrill Road merger was approved two years ago as part of broader district efforts to address budget shortfalls, declining enrollment, and underutilized facilities. Although the original timeline targeted 2025–2026, the School Board approved a delay last spring, moving the consolidation to 2026–2027. The principal shared an update with families this past November through multiple channels, including the school website. I’ve attached that communication for reference.
“The decision to relocate GRASP Academy is independent of the previously approved consolidation of Don Brewer and Merrill Road. Conversations about relocating GRASP Academy have been ongoing throughout the consolidation process due to the failing infrastructure of its current building. However, an official decision was not made until recently and the communications team reached out to support both schools in sharing the update this week with their respective communities.
“While both actions will take effect in the same school year, they stem from separate needs, separate analyses, and separate approval processes. The relocation of GRASP Academy did not influence the decision to consolidate Don Brewer and Merrill Road, nor did the consolidation drive the decision regarding GRASP Academy.”
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