Over 50 members of the East Gainesville community gathered at Day Springs Missionary Baptist Church Monday to discuss Alachua County Public Schools’ rezoning plans.
Alachua County NAACP and the Visionaires, a local group devoted to the educational and cultural growth of African Americans, hosted the meeting. Over the course of two hours, they discussed how the drafts disproportionately affect East Gainesville, which is home to several historically Black neighborhoods.
The district’s draft plans, released Feb. 2, propose the closure of five schools: Williams, Foster, Rawlings and Alachua Elementary Schools, as well as Duval Early Learning Academy.
Of the proposed school closures, Williams, Rawlings and Duval are on the east side. Foster Elementary School is located on Northwest Sixth Street, which is often considered greater East Gainesville.
ACPS already offered two weeks of community input meetings informing residents of the proposed changes, which exposed concerns some parts of the county would be impacted more than others.
At Monday’s meeting, which featured a question-and-answer panel, community members questioned why eastside schools were facing closure. Diyonne McGraw, a former school board member from 2020 to 2024, was among those asking.
“Is under enrollment really the problem or the symptom of deeper inequities that we have been dealing with in our community?” she said.
McGraw encouraged community members to draft an action plan to encourage the district to find alternatives to closing eastside schools.
McGraw was not the only attendee to propose community members reach out to school board members.
Alachua County Commission Chair Ken Cornell encouraged the school board to speak with county officials and postpone its March 12 meeting, the planned date for the decision on the maps.
“We have formally asked that the school board present to the county commission the actual alternatives and the plans at a public meeting,” he said, “so that we can ask specific questions.”
Throughout his speech, Cornell recognized various county projects that target East Gainesville. In December, the county approved the Eastwood Preserve project, which aims to bring housing developments to East Gainesville.
Other local officials, like Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, also discussed a commitment to helping the east side. The city approved a $2 million project in January to help improve the Duval neighborhood, Ward said.
The proposed closures represent an issue at the state level, he said, because state control has made it more difficult for the school district to invest in schools. Still, there are better decisions than closing schools, he added, and the commission hopes to help the school board discover one.
“There's a better way,” Ward said. “We're committed to help to find that better way.”
Parents and community members looking to provide input can fill out a survey online. The next community input meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Mebane Middle School.
Contact Grace Larson at glarson@alligator.org. Follow her on X @graceellarson.
Grace Larson is a first-year journalism student, currently serving as K-12 education reporter. She has previously served as city/county commission reporter for The Alligator's metro desk. In her free time, she enjoys staying active and hanging out with her family.
