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DECEMBER 2025
The Honorable Donna Deegan, Mayor
Helena A. Parola, Director of Planning
JACKSONVILLE PLANNING DEPARTMENT 214 N. Hogan Street, Suite 300, Jacksonville, Florida 32202
GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES................................................................................................... 4 GOAL 1 Coordinate and Maintain High Quality Education................................................................... 4 GOAL 2 Public School Facility Siting and Development ...................................................................... 5 GOAL 3 Implement Public School Concurrency ............................................................................... 11
The City shall collaborate and coordinate with the Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) and other municipalities to ensure that the public school system offers a high quality educational environment, provide accessibility for all its students, and ensure adequate school capacity to accommodate existing and future population.
The City shall establish coordination review procedures to ensure consistency of its Comprehensive Plan with the plans of the DCPS, County and the other municipalities.
1.1.1 It is the intent of this element that the policies included herein shall be applied to the City, unless specifically noted.
1.1.2 Staff from the City shall meet in joint workshop sessions with staff from DCPS and the other municipalities on an as needed basis, but at a minimum of twice per year, to provide opportunities to discuss issues of mutual concern.
1.1.3 City Council will meet with the DCPS and the legislative bodies of the other municipalities on an annual basis in a joint workshop or meeting session to discuss issues regarding coordination of land use and school facilities planning, including population and student growth, development trends, school sitings, school needs, school concurrency, co-location and joint-use opportunities, and ancillary infrastructure improvements needed to support and ensure safe student access.
1.1.4 The City shall coordinate and base its plans upon consistent projections of the amount, type, and distribution of population growth and student enrollment which are consistent with those of the DCPS and the other municipalities. The Interlocal Agreement shall establish the methodology to be used to determine school enrollment projections to be used in preparing the DCPS Five-Year Capital Plan, and the methodology to be used to determine school enrollment and capacity to be used in concurrency testing. At a minimum, the methodology shall include consideration of both students anticipated from projected new housing stock and enrollment projected to occur from existing housing stock, and that each of these components of projected student enrollment be set out for each Concurrency Service Area by type of school, or a functional equivalent. To ensure
that the City’s Capital Improvement Plan and the Concurrency Management System are financially feasible, the City shall confirm that the student enrollment projections from new housing stock in each Concurrency Service Area are consistent with the population projections for that Concurrency Service Area. The City will annually revise its Five-year population projections and update information and provide those revised projections and information to the DCPS and the other municipalities in order that DCPS annually update its school enrollment projections.
At the time of adoption of the Public School Facilities Element (PSFE), the City shall coordinate and share data with DCPS including an inventory of reserved capacity that existed prior to the effective date of the City’ School Concurrency Ordinance, approval and a projection of the number of these residential units that are anticipated to receive certification of occupancy approval in the next five years, and the identification of any development orders issued which contained a requirement for the provision of a school site as a condition of the development approval.
On an ongoing basis, the City will provide the DCPS with data, including information regarding the type, number, and location of residential units which have received zoning approval, site plan approval, a building permit, or a Certificate of Occupancy and a draft Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) with the final version of the CIP to be submitted by the City to the DCPS after official adoption. Information regarding the conversion or redevelopment of housing or other structures into residential units that are likely to generate new students shall be provided.
By December of each year, the City shall consider for adoption the DCPS Five-Year Capital Facilities Plan to the extent that it relates to school capacity to ensure maintenance of a financially feasible capital improvements program and to ensure level of service standards will be achieved and maintained by the end of the 5-year planning period. If the City determines that the DCPS Five Year Capital Facilities Plan is not financially feasible, then the City shall notify the DCPS that the Five-Year Capital Facilities Plan is not financially feasible, and request that DCPS modify the Five Year Capital Facilities Plan to make it financially feasible.
It is the goal of the City to maintain and enhance joint planning processes and procedures for coordination with the DCPS and the other municipalities of public education facilities for planning and decision-making regarding population projections, public school siting, and the development of public education facilities concurrent with the residential development and other services.
The City shall coordinate with DCPS and the other municipalities to establish a process of coordination and collaboration between the City and the DCPS in the planning, siting and construction of educational facilities, so that timing is proper and the site location is compatible with the surrounding area, concurrent with necessary service and infrastructure, and consistent with the comprehensive plan.
2.1.1 The City will coordinate with the DCPS to assure that proposed public school facility sites in the City are consistent with the applicable land use categories and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. Pursuant to Florida Statutes, the City will consider each site, within its boundaries, as it relates to environmental, health, safety, and welfare concerns, as well as the effects on adjacent property.
2.1.2 The City will coordinate with the DCPS for the selection of future school sites within the City as to aspects related to: (a) Acquisition of school sites which: (i) allow for future expansions to accommodate future enrollment, in accordance with the adopted level of service (LOS) standards and other facility needs; (ii) coordinate with the City's development and redevelopment objectives; and (iii) are deemed beneficial for joint uses, as identified by the DCPS and the City, to the extent feasible; and
(b) Coordination of the location, phasing, and development of future school sites to ensure that site development occurs in conjunction with the provision of required infrastructure to serve the school facility.
2.1.3 The City shall coordinate with the DCPS in the school site selection process to encourage the location of new schools within areas designated for development on the Future Land Use Map.
2.1.4 At the request of the DCPS, the City will assist the DCPS and the JPC in reviewing and recommending potential sites for new schools, proposed school closures, and significant school expansion projects, and making recommendations to the Superintendent.
2.1.5 The City shall coordinate with the DCPS to establish a procedure for timely review of development for new public school facilities.
Public schools shall be located to provide direct access to collector or arterial roadway system, where feasible.
The City shall coordinate with the DCPS to evaluate and seek to locate potential sites where the co-location of public facilities, such as parks, libraries, and community centers, with schools can be accomplished.
Schools are an allowable land use in all future land use categories, except for heavy industrial and conservation, subject to the following criteria: (a) In the planning, land acquisition, and development, new school sites, or significant renovations, expansions and potential closures of existing schools, the City will evaluate the following factors:
Whether the area contains or will contain a student population density sufficient to support the school;
Whether a school in that location would be consistent with sound facility planning, including consideration of overall costs and design;
Whether the school site is of sufficient size to accommodate the required parking and circulation of vehicles;
Whether anticipated unacceptable impacts to the environment and significant environmental constraints would preclude a school on the site;
Whether development of the school would result in unacceptable impacts on archeological or historic sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places or designated by the City as locally significant;
Whether the location of site is located within the area of velocity flood zone or floodway, as delineated on pertinent maps identified or referenced in the City’s comprehensive plan or land development regulations;
Whether or not the proposed location lies within an area regulated by Section 333.03(2), F.S., regarding the construction of public facilities in the vicinity of an airport;
As to elementary school sites, whether the site is proximate to and within walking distance of the residential neighborhoods it is intended to serve, thereby encouraging the use of elementary schools as focal points for neighborhoods.
As to middle and high school sites, whether the site is conveniently located to the residential neighborhoods it is intended to serve, and has access to major roads;
Whether the new schools site, significant renovation, expansion or potential closure will support community redevelopment and revitalization;
Whether the new school site, significant renovation, expansion or potential closure will increase or diminish the current and projected level of service within the concurrency service area, and contiguous concurrency service areas.
(b) The facility shall be of a design, intensity, and scale to serve the surrounding neighborhood and be compatible with the surrounding land uses and zoning.
The City shall protect schools from the intrusion of incompatible land uses as determined by the City’s Land Development Regulations, by providing the DCPS the opportunity to participate in the review process for all proposed developments adjacent to schools.
The City shall coordinate with the DCPS to ensure that the future school facilities are located outside areas susceptible to hurricane and/or storm damage, and/or areas prone to flooding, or as consistent with Chapter 1013 F.S., regarding flood plain and school building requirements.
The emergency management officials of the City shall coordinate with the DCPS facilities staff to identify schools, both existing and proposed, which can serve as emergency shelter sites, as well as identify and make available to the DCPS any grants or other monies for use in preparing a structure as an emergency shelter site.
The City shall work with the DCPS to ensure that the shelter bed fee described in Policies 7.2.5, 7.2.6, and 7.2.7 of the City’s Conservation Element are enforced.
The DCPS and the City will jointly determine the need, responsibility for providing, and timing of any on- or off-site infrastructure improvements necessary to support a new school located in the City. To the extent that the proposed renovation or expansion of an existing school located in the City affects on- or off-site infrastructure improvements, the same determination shall be made for the proposed renovation or expansion.
The City shall coordinate with DCPS to enhance community and neighborhood design though establishing effective school facility design and siting standards thereby encouraging the siting of school facilities to serve as community focal points and to be compatible with surrounding land uses.
The City shall coordinate with the DCPS in order to provide consistency with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and public school facilities program, and to provide for the following desirable outcomes:
(a) Greater efficiency by the placement of schools to take advantage of the existing and planned roads, water, sewer, parks, and drainage systems;
(b) Improved student access and safety by coordinating the construction of new and expanded schools with roads and sidewalk construction programs;
(c) The location and design of schools with parks, ball fields, libraries, and other community facilities to take advantage of shared use opportunities; and
(d) The expansion and rehabilitation of existing schools to support neighborhoods and redevelopment.
(e) The City shall coordinate any updates to its future land use map with the DCPS and the DCPS shall coordinate any updates to the long range public school facilities map with the City.
The City shall coordinate with DCPS to seek to provide for the shared-use and co-location of school sites and local government facilities with similar facility needs, such as libraries, parks, and recreation facilities, and health care facilities. The City will look for opportunities to co-locate and share local government facilities when preparing updates to the Comprehensive Plan’s schedule of capital improvements and when planning and designing new or renovating existing, community facilities.
Where continued use of an existing school which is considered a locally significant building is not feasible, the City shall seek to coordinate with DCPS to provide for the adaptive reuse of that locally significant building.
New residential developments adjacent to schools which do not prohibit school aged residents shall be required to provide a direct, safe, and ADA-compliant pedestrian access to existing and planned school sites and shall connect to the neighborhood's existing pedestrian network.
The City shall coordinate with the DCPS to ensure that pedestrian and bicycle facilities are provided adjacent to school sites located in the City to allow for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.
The City shall coordinate with the DCPS to find opportunities to collaborate on public transit and public school bus routes to better serve citizens and students.
The City shall encourage the DCPS to use sustainable design and performance standards, such as using energy efficient and recycled materials, to reduce lifetime costs, where feasible.
The City will coordinate proposed changes to future land use, rezoning, and developments of regional impact for residential development with adequate school capacity. This objective will be accomplished recognizing the DCPS statutory and constitutional responsibility to provide a uniform system of free and adequate schools.
The City will provide an electronic copy, or otherwise make available electronically, to the DCPS, copies of all land use applications and development and redevelopment proposals pending before them that may affect student enrollment, enrollment projections, or school facilities, as provided in the amended Interlocal Agreement.
The City will coordinate with DCPS to establish plan review procedures to manage the timing of Future Land Use Map amendments and other land use decisions so that these decisions coordinate with adequate school capacity.
The City will take into consideration the DCPS comments and findings on the availability of adequate school capacity in the evaluation of comprehensive plan amendments, and
other land use decisions as provided in Section 163.3177(6)(a), F.S. and development of regional impacts as provided in 1380.06, F.S.
The City shall ensure the future availability of public school facilities to serve development consistent with the adopted level of service standards. This goal will be accomplished recognizing the DCPS statutory and constitutional responsibility to provide uniform system of free and adequate public schools, and the City’s authority for land use control and management, and their joint responsibility to maintain the adopted level of service standards.
Through the implementation of its concurrency management systems and in coordination with the DCPS, the City shall ensure that the capacity of schools is sufficient to support new residential developments at the adopted level of service (LOS) standards within the period covered in the five-year schedule of capital improvements and the long range planning period. These standards shall be consistent with the Interlocal Agreement agreed upon by the DCPS, the City and the other municipalities. Minor deviations to the LOS standards may occur, so long as they are limited, temporary and with scheduled capacity improvements, school capacity is maximized to the greatest extent feasible.
3.1.1 The LOS standards set forth herein shall be applied consistently for the purpose of implementing school concurrency, including determining whether sufficient school capacity exists to accommodate a particular development application, and determining the financial feasibility of DCPS Five-Year Capital Facilities Plan and the City’s Capital Improvement Plan.
3.1.2 The uniform LOS standards for all public schools including magnets and instructional facility types are provided under Goal 1 of the Capital Improvements Element.
3.1.3 The uniform LOS standards may only be amended by agreement of the City, the CDPS and all other municipalities. Such agreement must be reflected in amendment of the Interlocal Agreement relating to schools. The revised LOS standard shall not become final until the Interlocal Agreement has been amended. No level of service shall be amended without a showing that the proposed LOS is financially feasible. The LOS will be achieved and maintained by the end of the five-year planning period.
<u>Objective 3.2 School Concurrency Service Areas (CSAs)</u> The City shall coordinate with DCPS to establish Concurrency Service Areas (CSAs), as the areas within which an evaluation is made of whether adequate school capacity is available based on the adopted level of service standards.
Policies 3.2.1 The City shall enter into an Interlocal Agreement with the DCPS and other municipalities in Duval County to establish CSAs to be used as the basis of school concurrency determinations. The CSAs shall be delineated so as to maximize available school capacity and make efficient use of new and existing public school facilities in accordance with the adopted LOS standards, taking into consideration the following criteria:
(a) Maximization of school facilities
(b) Minimize transportation costs
(c) Limiting student travel time
(d) Requirements of court-approved desegregation plans
(e) Achieving socioeconomic, racial, and cultural diversity objectives
(f) Recognizing capacity commitments resulting from local governments’ development approvals for the CSA and contiguous CSAs.
3.2.2 The CSA designations may only be amended by agreement of the City, the DCPS and all other municipalities, after receiving comments from the Joint Planning Committee and the ILA Team. Such agreement must be reflected in an amendment to the Interlocal Agreement relating to schools. The revised CSA designations shall not become final until the Interlocal Agreement has been amended.
3.2.3 There shall be Concurrency Service Areas established for Duval County for elementary and high schools, and Concurrency Service Areas for middle schools as depicted on the CSA maps attached to the adopted Interlocal Agreement.
<u>Objective 3.3 Process for School Concurrency Implementation</u> In coordination with the DCPS, the City will establish a process for implementation of school concurrency which includes applicability and capacity determination and availability standards, and school capacity methods. The City shall manage the timing of new residential development approvals to ensure adequate school
capacity is available consistent with adopted level of service standards for public school concurrency.
Except as provided in policies below, school concurrency applies only to residential uses that generate demands for public school facilities and are proposed or established after the effective date of the School Concurrency Ordinances.
The City in consultation with DCPS and the other municipalities shall establish a uniform methodology for determining capacity. Capacity will be defined as: a) the number of student stations as established in the permanent FISH, plus portables; and b) Proposed changes to permanent FISH capacity as a result of construction, rehabilitation, or other changes in school capacity which will commence in the first three (3) years of the Five-Year Capital Facilities Plan.
The DCPS will be responsible for “concurrency testing” of any new residential development projects. This process will involve applying the adopted student generation rate to the development project to determine the number of students in each school type and then evaluating whether or not the schools in the appropriate Concurrency Service Area (CSA) or the adjacent concurrency areas have sufficient excess capacity to absorb the new students.
The following residential uses shall be considered exempt from the requirements of school concurrency due to the lack of impact on the school facilities or the accommodations made for schools.
(a) Age restricted communities.
(b) Any development with a de minimus impact as defined as any residential development of 20 units or less, subject to land development regulation aggregation criteria.
In evaluating a proposed residential development for concurrency, any relevant improvements which are committed or planned in the Five-Year Capital Facilities Plan and the Capital Improvement Plan, shall be considered available capacity for the project and factored into the level of service analysis. Any relevant improvements which will commence construction after the 3rd year of the Five-Year Capital Facilities Plan shall not be considered available capacity for the project unless either: (i) funding and a
schedule to accelerate the improvement into the first three years is assured through DCPS; (ii) funding for the improvements which are scheduled to commence in years four or five is provided through proportionate share mitigation; (iii) the developer and the DCPS agrees to accelerate the construction and funding of the facility to be moved into first three years; or (iv) some other means. Also, any projected reduction in the number of students enrolled in the CSA or adjacent CSA will be considered as additional available capacity. The City shall not deny an application for site plan, final subdivision approval, or the functional equivalent for a development or phase of a development authorizing residential development for exceeding the adopted level of service, where adequate school facilities will be in place or under construction within three years after the issuance of final subdivision or site plan approval, or the functional equivalent. If the adopted LOS standard cannot be met in the particular CSA as applied to an application for a development permit, and if the needed capacity for the particular service area is available in one or more contiguous CSAs, as adopted by the City, then the City may not deny an application for site plan or final subdivision approval, or the functional equivalent for a development or phase of a development on the basis of school concurrency, and, if issued, development impacts shall be shifted to contiguous CSAs with schools having available capacity.
The City will approve final development orders for residential projects, only after the applicant has complied with the terms of the City’ School Concurrency Ordinances.
In any instance where the DCPS, in consultation with the City, has determined that a proposed development will cause level of service standards for schools to be exceeded within the testing period in both the affected School Concurrency Service Area and the adjacent School Concurrency Service areas, then the City shall coordinate with the applicant for the proposed development and the DCPS to determine whether improvements will be in place or under actual construction within three years after issuance of final subdivision or site plan approval, or the functional equivalent, sufficient to provide adequate capacity to meet the adopted level of service. If adequate capacity does not exist, then the City will coordinate with the applicant for the development and the DCPS to determine whether improvements are planned in the Capital Improvement Plan with adequate capacity after the 3rd year of the Capital Facilities Plan. The City will also request that the DCPS determine whether it has the capacity to further maximize school usage in the system to accommodate the anticipated impact without requiring the construction of new school facilities.
After all alternatives to providing sufficient capacity to provide for the adopted level of service are considered and determined not to be feasible, the City, the applicant and the DCPS may: (i) enter into a mitigation agreement whereby the applicant will pay for his proportionate share of the impacts; or (ii) some other form of acceptable mitigation will be
provided, and upon execution of a legally binding mitigation agreement between the applicant, the DCPS, and the City, the developer will be allowed to proceed with development. DCPS shall notify the City that school capacity is available for the development within 30 days after receipt of the developer’s legally binding mitigation agreement. If no mitigation agreement can be reached that is acceptable to all parties, and proportionate share mitigation is not feasible, then the school capacity deficiency shall be a basis for denial of the application.
The City will issue a School Concurrency Determination only upon:
(a) Determination that adequate school capacity to serve the development (or anticipated phase of the development which will be constructed in the first three years) will be in place or under actual construction within 3 years after the issuance of the final subdivision or site plan approval, or the functional equivalent; or
(b) The execution of a legally binding mitigation agreement between the applicant, the DCPS and the City.
Where a proportionate share agreement is required, capacity shall be reserved as specifically defined by an approved mitigation agreement between DCPS, the developer and the City that includes a performance schedule and phased payments.
The school concurrency system shall provide that concurrency application may be applied for and a concurrency determination made at any time prior to the issuance of a development order.
Policies
The City shall establish standards, procedures, and methodologies for the application of proportionate share mitigation.
The City shall establish a procedure and methodology to assure that in the event that there is not sufficient capacity in the affected or adjacent CSA to address the impacts of a proposed residential development and acceptable mitigation is agreed to, the mitigation found acceptable shall be incorporated into the final development order.
The City and DCPS shall develop a procedure and methodology to determine the proportionate share within the CSAs.
Mitigation shall be allowed where feasible, for those developments that cannot meet the adopted level of service standards set forth in Policy 3.1.2. The applicant shall initiate in writing a mitigation negotiation period with the DCPS in order to establish an acceptable form of mitigation, pursuant to Section 163.3180(c), F.S., the Cities' School Concurrency Ordinance, and this agreement. Mitigation shall be negotiated and agreed to by the DCPS and shall be sufficient to offset the demand for public school facilities projected to be required by the development. Acceptable forms of mitigation shall include but not be limited to:
(a) The donation, construction, or funding of school facilities sufficient to offset the demand for public schools created by the proposed development such as: a developer signs a development agreement and builds a new or improves an existing school or schools to specifications and under a business arrangement satisfactory to the DCPS and the city. Improvements to existing schools will only be acceptable if they add permanent student station and associated core space capacity, if needed.
(b) Land acquisition or contribution such as: a developer signs a development agreement or is subject to a conditional zoning requiring donation of land satisfactory to the DCPS and the city. Land must be demonstrated to contain the minimum number of buildable acres determined by the DCPS and the city as required for a particular school type, as evidenced by a report by a licensed environmental consultant acceptable to the DCPS.
(c) Expansion of existing permanent school facilities subject to the expansion being consistent with DCPS standards for a school of the same category;
(d) Establishment of a Charter School with facilities constructed in accordance with the State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF);
(e) Mitigation banking within designated areas based on the construction of a public school facility in exchange for the right to sell capacity credits. Capacity credits shall be sold to developments within the same CSA or adjacent CSA;
(f) Proportionate Share mitigation as set forth in section 163.3180(13) (e), Florida Statutes.
By December 1st of each year, the City, in coordination with DCPS, shall update its Capital Improvement Plan to incorporate those changes made by the DCPS in its Capital Facilities Plan and committed improvements required by development orders or other approved mitigation plans. DCPS may accelerate the provision of one or more schools that serve the development’s capacity needs. The DCPS will update the Five-year Capital Facilities Plan by October of each year in advance of the annual December update.
Proposed mitigation must be directed toward permanent school capacity improvement identified in or amended into the DCPS financially feasible Five-Year Capital Facilities Plan, which satisfies the demands created by the proposed development. Relocatable classrooms will not be accepted as or used as mitigation.
The City shall cooperate with the DCPS to ensure existing deficiencies and future needs are addressed with the adopted level of service standards for public schools.
The City shall implement its school concurrency management system established pursuant to Policies contained in Objective 3.2 through 3.4.
Consistent with Section 163.3177 (12) (h), Florida Statutes, the PSFE shall include future condition maps showing existing and anticipated schools over the five-year or long term planning period. The maps of necessity may be general over the long-term planning period and do not prescribe a land use on a particular parcel of land.
The City shall annually place a financially feasible public school capital facilities program in the Capital Improvements Element schedule, established in conjunction with the School Board that demonstrates that the adopted LOS standards will be achieved and maintained.