Dear Supt. Nikolai Vitti:
Welcome to Jacksonville.
I'm writing you as a follow up to the wonderful visit we had recently, and to let you know that I sense a growing enthusiasm around your arrival in town as the new Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools.
I think I'm speaking for most of the folks who live here when I say we are all rooting for you to be successful in creating that model school system you've talked about.
I know there are many people who are willing and anxious to follow your leadership and help with some of the heavy lifting.
We've got some great schools in Duval County. But we also have schools that urgently need vast improvement.
You're right when you say that the morale of students, teachers and especially parents has to be lifted if real change is going to occur.
Eliminating some of the tests that bog down teachers and students and exhaust parents is a good move in the right direction. It helps to let everyone know things will not be business as usual with you at the helm.
But, let me offer some unsolicited thoughts about what concerns me, believing that you will concur 100 percent.
It's not a new notion that good public schools are foundational if a community is to develop economically.
We've known for a long time that when big companies look for a place to invest — especially if it means moving employees — they look at the quality of public education because they know good schools are important to their families.
They know that a first class education system is a strong indicator of the quality of the local workforce.
It's also no secret that we have many families in Northeast Florida who've been choosing to live in neighboring counties rather than Duval County in large part because others enjoy a reputation for having good public schools. For instance, St. Johns County schools have topped the charts in Florida for the past three years.
Reports are that St. Johns County is way in front of the economic curve in home sales and new construction as a result.
We're happy for St. Johns County.
But frankly, lagging behind because of inferior public education should not be acceptable. And, that's something I hope will change under your leadership, and with the leadership of four new members of our school board.
Substandard public schools not only keep us from landing new business and industry, it really inhibits our ability to build and sell new and existing homes.
We just don't need families putting down roots and putting up new roofs across the county line when for all practical reasons they should be buying homes here.
Don't get me wrong. Things seem to be inching toward improvement in the housing market.
Nationally, builders began construction on the most homes and apartments since mid-2008.
In Duval County, all recent indications point to an improving real estate market as well. According to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors:
• Pending sales in October were 45 percent higher than contracts written in 2010;
• Pending sales year to date are up 16 percent compared to the same period last year.
• Closed sales were 19 percent higher than closings last October.
• The number of days a property is on the market has declined 11 percent from October 2011 to this October.
• The median sales price of $137,950 in October 2012 is up eight percent from a year ago.
• The inventory of homes for sale is down 31 percent from last October.
• And, the month's supply of inventory is down 39 percent from last October.
This is a slow improvement in our housing market, but it is improvement and we can sense that we might be getting some momentum.
Here's my point.
If we can get some wind beneath our wings in the real estate market in Duval County, and you can stir up some headwinds to build a model school system, then families will want to buy and build homes here instead of moving next door.
After all, our weather is identical to St. Johns County. Our beaches are just as beautiful and our river is unsurpassed. We've got great neighborhoods, generous people and a ton of things to do.
Now, if we can just fix what's broken with our public schools as we're developing momentum in the real estate market, the days ahead for Duval County will be terrific.
— Jim Bailey is president of Bailey Publishing & Communications and is publisher of Realty/Builder Connection.