School board leaders want to pause the consolidation of two East Side elementary schools. They shared that with parents Thursday night at a community meeting about merging Long Branch Elementary into R.L. Brown. Leaders say they want extra time to work with parents.
The merger was already delayed once. It was initially supposed to take place this school year. Now, school board members are set to vote on another extension.
The discussion involves two schools that were supposed to be made one: Long Branch Elementary School and R.L. Brown Gifted and Talented Academy. In December 2025, the Duval County School Board voted to merge them, then put it off a year. Now, board members are asking for one more delay to hear the community out and develop a plan for next steps…