A New School Year. A Future-Ready Jacksonville

Dear Friends,

As another school year begins across Duval County, I want to extend my heartfelt encouragement and gratitude to every student, educator, school leader, parent, volunteer, and community partner embarking on a new year of learning.

Back-to-school season is one of my favorite times of year because it reminds us that education is ultimately about possibility. Every new school year brings fresh opportunities for students to discover their potential, for educators to inspire new generations of learners, and for our community to come together in support of our children.

This year, we also have much to celebrate.

For the second consecutive year, Duval County Public Schools has earned an "A" district rating, an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects years of hard work, commitment, and collaboration by teachers, school leaders, district staff, students, families, and community partners. And the Duval County high school graduation rate is at an all-time high at 94.3%, with gaps between student subgroups closing in graduation outcomes as well. These achievements are evidence that when a community unites around public education, meaningful progress is possible.

Yet while we celebrate this progress, we also recognize an equally important truth.

Graduation is not the finish line. 

The world our students are entering is changing rapidly. Advances in artificial intelligence, shifts in the workforce, population growth, and persistent opportunity gaps require us to think differently about what it means to prepare students, not only for academic success, but for success in college, careers, citizenship, and life. 

As our new strategic framework acknowledges, Jacksonville stands at a pivotal moment. Our city is growing, our economy is evolving, and civic leaders share a common aspiration to become a truly world-class city. At the heart of that aspiration is one essential question:

Are our children, educators, families, and institutions prepared for the future? 

At the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, we believe this moment calls for renewed leadership that bridges Jacksonville's remarkable educational progress with the demands of future readiness.

That is why our Board of Directors, staff, and community partners have developed a new strategic framework centered around one guiding aspiration:

Ensuring Every Student is Future Ready.

While our strategy is evolving, our mission and vision remain unchanged.

Our Vision

Every student is inspired and prepared for success in college or a career and life. 

Our Mission

JPEF activates community support, connects its partners, and advances effective ideas for the success of all students. 

To accomplish this mission, we will focus our efforts on ensuring students in every neighborhood, and the adults who support them, are prepared to read well, think critically, create boldly, and lead with heart. We will strive to make Jacksonville a city where every student is future ready. 

Our Strategic Priorities

Over the next four years, JPEF will focus on four strategic goals.

Goal 1: Strengthen Educator and School Leadership for the Future

Invest in educator and leader development that emphasizes innovation, adaptability, and the skills required to support future-ready learners. 

Goal 2: Empower Students and Families as Partners

Expand opportunities for students and families to build influence, voice, and confidence in navigating evolving education systems and the broader education ecosystem. 

Goal 3: Lead Civic Dialogue and Collective Action

Strengthen JPEF's position as a central convener on education by connecting future-ready education conversations to civic and economic priorities. 

Goal 4: Build Organizational Focus and Sustainability

Align JPEF's internal capacity, partnerships, and resources to support long-term leadership, financial sustainability, and measurable impact. 

How We'll Continue Serving Jacksonville

Although our strategy is evolving, the role we play in our community remains consistent.

JPEF stands as a bridge-builder, connecting people, ideas, data, and systems to advance student and community outcomes. Through this role, we innovate, learn, connect, and help shape future directions. 

Our work will continue through three interconnected roles:

• Trusted Source of Insight: serving as a credible, nonpartisan source of education data, research, and analysis that helps our community understand what is changing, why it matters, and what it means for Jacksonville's children and youth. 
• Convener and Connector: using our relationships and reputation to align stakeholders, reduce fragmentation, and create shared understanding across education, civic, nonprofit, and business sectors. 
• Catalyst for Future-Ready Practice: helping educators, students, and families build the skills and mindsets needed for the future through leadership development, innovation-oriented initiatives, and partnerships. 

How We'll Put This Strategy into Action

As we begin the 2026-2027 school year, you'll see this strategy come to life across Jacksonville.

• Supporting great educators, including helping inform our community about the importance of renewing the One Mill referendum.
• Convening Future-Ready Forums that bring educators, families, students, employers, and community partners together to shape what's next.
• Providing trusted research and insight that helps our community celebrate progress while identifying opportunities for continued innovation.

Most importantly, you'll see us continuing to build the partnerships that have always defined JPEF's work because we know that lasting change happens when an entire community works toward a shared vision.

The future is not something that simply happens to us.

It is something we have the opportunity to shape.

We cannot build a future-ready Jacksonville alone. Whether you're an educator, parent, student, business leader, policymaker, nonprofit partner, or community volunteer, there is a place for you in this work.

I hope you'll join us as we work to ensure every student is future ready. Together, we can build on the tremendous progress our community has made, embrace the opportunities ahead, and help Jacksonville realize its aspiration to become a truly world-class city.

Thank you for believing in our students and for all you do to strengthen public education.

Here's to a wonderful school year.

With gratitude,

 

Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, President
Jacksonville Public Education Fund

Learn More

Read our FY2027-2030 Strategic Framework  and learn how we're working to ensure every student is future ready.

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Help us activate community support, connect partners, and advance effective ideas for the success of every student in Duval County.