At a special meeting of the Duval County School Board on November 16, three new board members were inducted and two current members were elected to the role of Chairman and Vice Chairman.

Fred "Fel" Lee, Paula Wright and Becki Couch were sworn in as the newest members of the School Board. Additionally, W.C. Gentry was appointed Chairman of the Board and Betty Burney was appointed Vice Chairman, replacing Brenda Priestly Jackson and Nancy Broner respectively.

Jacksonville voters elected Lee, Wright and Couch as replacements for Nancy Broner (District 2), Brenda Priestly Jackson (District 4) and Vicki Drake (District 6). Broner, Priestly Jackson and Drake have reached term limits, serving on the board since 2002.

Chairman Gentry represents District 3 and joined the School Board in November 2008. Filling the Vice Chairman seat is Betty Burney. Burney represents District 5, and was elected to the School Board in 2004. She served as chairman of the School Board from November 2007-November 2008.

We welcome our new Board Members and thank them for their commitment to Duval County Public Schools.