Five candidates are officially in the running for Duval County School Board District 6, as incumbent Charlotte Joyce reaches her term limit. The race stretches from Riverside and Avondale out toward the Baker County line, and the conversation has quickly zeroed in on school safety, literacy interventions and a voter-approved one-mill that helps boost teacher pay.
Who’s on the ballot
The District 6 lineup features Lindsey Denmark, Clarence “CJ” James, Michelle Petty, Robert Stafford and Tammyette Thomas. All five names appear on the county’s official sample ballots, according to the Duval County Supervisor of Elections.
What candidates are saying
Each hopeful is offering a different diagnosis and prescription for Duval’s schools. Denmark is focusing on restoring classroom order and expanding early-intervention literacy efforts. James is highlighting violence and summer learning loss as immediate concerns. Petty is centering her campaign on transparency, budget reform and curriculum changes, while backing a renewal of the one-mill. Stafford is pushing for higher literacy rates, along with audits and clearer accountability around how the district spends its money. Thomas was unavailable for interview.
As reported by News4JAX, the candidates also split on how quickly to move teacher pay into the district’s base budget and on the order in which safety upgrades should roll out across campuses.
Top issues: one-mill, safety and AI
The one-mill property tax renewal, which the district says brings in more than $100 million a year and largely funds salary supplements, sits at the center of the campaign and has led to a policy standoff between the school board and City Council, according to Action News Jax. Candidates have also pointed to uneven security investments and fast-tracked school consolidations as factors that they say contribute to classroom disorder.
The race has already had its own brush with 21st-century controversy, after an AI-generated image appeared on a campaign mailer. The candidate’s team said the image was pulled following criticism, according to Action News Jax.
How and when to vote
The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18, and sample ballots and polling locations are available from the Supervisor of Elections. Early in-person voting for the statewide primary window is expected to begin Aug. 8, as local outlets have reminded voters.
Residents who want to hear directly from the candidates can sign up for a community forum on July 30 at the Main Library, organized by local school-advocacy groups and PTAs, according to DCCPTA.
