The final bell at Don Brewer Elementary in Jacksonville on Thursday carried more weight than usual, as teachers and families marked the last "last day" for a campus that will stop serving grades 3–5 next school year. When classes resume in August, Don Brewer students are slated to attend nearby Merrill Road Elementary, while the district plans to repurpose the Don Brewer building for another program moving in that same month.
The Brewer and Merrill Road merger is part of a wider set of consolidations the district approved to deal with budget shortfalls, shrinking enrollment and under-used facilities. According to Duval County Public Schools, the board confirmed that Don Brewer will consolidate into Merrill Road for the 2026–27 school year.
Parents watching Don Brewer wind down expressed a mix of nostalgia and nerves, especially about traffic and capacity at Merrill Road. "I feel like that would be over capacity," one parent said. Another sounded more relaxed, saying the traffic has not been a problem and predicting, "I think it'll probably be cool." Reporters also noted three memorial signs across from Merrill Road at the intersection with Hartsfield Road, as reported by Action News Jax.
Don Brewer Campus To House GRASP Academy
Duval County Public Schools says the Don Brewer campus will become home to the district’s GRASP Academy beginning in August. GRASP is a choice program for students in grades 1–8 that focuses on students with characteristics of dyslexia and related learning differences. The district’s notice explains that current Don Brewer students will be automatically enrolled at Merrill Road and that transportation will be available for students who live more than 1.5 miles from the Merrill Road campus. Those details are outlined on the school’s site and in a letter posted by Don Brewer Elementary / Duval County Public Schools.
Why The District Is Consolidating
The move reflects larger financial and demographic pressures across the district, including rising construction costs, a growing maintenance backlog and projections of a significant budget shortfall. Jacksonville leaders have reevaluated an expensive facilities "Bold Plan" and are weighing closures and mergers as a way to control long-term expenses and better match buildings with current enrollment patterns. Jacksonville Today provides additional context on the consultant work and state funding shifts behind those decisions.
What Families Should Know
School staff say they will share logistics over the summer for enrollment, transportation and orientation as the transition unfolds. Families with questions are encouraged to contact their school’s main office or the district for the latest updates as the move is completed this summer.
