Jacksonville, Fla., elementary is undergoing major renovation

The Duval County (Fla.) district is carrying out a total rebuild of Rutledge Pearson Elementary School in Jacksonville.

News4Jax reports crews have demolished the old facility and are rebuilding it from the ground up. When it’s done, the district said it will be the most modern school in the county.

The $40 million project includes upgrades like a new second floor and new play fields.

The school will serve 900 students and combine Henry Kite, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rutledge Pearson elementary schools into one large state-of-the-art campus.

The cafeteria area will be reinforced and serve as a hurricane shelter which district officials say is desperately needed.

The school also will have modern teaching technology, learning walls, speaker systems, sound systems, interactive systems, high internet capability, and wireless capability.

Rutledge Pearson Elementary is one of 28 replacement or new school projects funded by a half-cent sales tax approved by Duval County voters in 2020.