Writer: Liz Palmer
3 min read August 2022 — As another school year rolls around for Northeast Florida, educators in K-12 and post-secondary spaces are starting the 2022-23 academic year with their fair share of challenges, growth and opportunity.
It’s not a secret that public schools are experiencing exacerbating staffing shortages nationwide, and Florida has not been immune. Earlier this month the Florida Department of Education published an overview of the practice areas that are experiencing the worst shortages going into the fall semester, which include English, Exceptional Student Education (ESE), General Science, Reading, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Math and Physical Science, but other subjects are also struggling. Another local report found that there are more than 400 teacher vacancies and around 175 paraprofessional vacancies in Duval County schools. Superintendent Diana Greene commented on what the district is doing to combat the shortage, from a slight increase to teacher-to-student class ratios to district administrators substituting in classrooms. “This challenge isn’t new. It became particularly acute last school year,” she told The Florida Times Union.
Independent and private schools are working to fill educational gaps to keep students on track for postsecondary success, covering bases from mental health to facility updates to emotional intelligence. Last week, President and Head of School for The Bolles School Tyler Hodges met with Invest: and discussed priorities as he considers the future of education in Jacksonville. “We want greater student autonomy and choice, so we have expanded our electives for them to find areas where they thrive. We want to give them multiple avenues for success,” he said. As demand for enrollment continues, underserved students are a priority and capital projects are underway to continue making financial aid available. “People are worried they will get priced out of our market but we want to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Hodges said. “We are an anchor institution in Jacksonville and we want to serve the community.”
In the higher education arena, the University of North Florida’s strong enrollment this semester has resulted in a waitlist of almost 300 students in need of housing. UNF has recognized the national lack of access to affordable student housing in a statement this Monday. “Contributing to this heightened demand is the increase in off-campus rental rates. Housing and Residence Life has been accepting housing contracts from students since Fall 2021 on a first-come, first-served basis, and a waiting list has been created for students who still are seeking on-campus housing,” UNF’s spokesperson said. “We understand the frustrations of students and their families. Staff is diligently monitoring the situation, considering options, and reaching out to students as spaces become available.”
In terms of expansions, students from the Jacksonville University College of Law’s inaugural class had their first day of classes last week. Positioned in Downtown Jacksonville, the school’s goal is to “fill a gap” in the legal education sector and is starting out with 14 candidates. Additionally, the Davis College of Business and Technology has expanded program offerings to include fintech curriculum. A major has been added on the undergraduate side and MBA students will have the option to concentrate on the subject.
“Jacksonville is a burgeoning FinTech city, and as more companies move to the city and expand their operations across the country, there’s truly no better time to be launching this program for our students. Our industry partners want to source talent locally and we’ve heard time and time again there’s a need for highly-skilled FinTech employees in Jacksonville. We’re proud to be able to provide for that need in our community,” said Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Christine Sapienza in a news release. Jacksonville University is also starting the academic year with its largest freshman class in its history.
