Case Study: Duval County Public Schools — Jacksonville Security Window Film

Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) in Jacksonville, Florida used a multi-year window-film program to address vulnerable school glazing across 15 campuses. Sea Cool reports that the program covered more than 128,000 square feet of film through three annual Safety & Security Upgrade groups, followed by a focused Paxon entrance project. The public project profile describes window film as one layer of a broader school-hardening plan—not a replacement for access control, cameras, lighting, fencing, or emergency communications.

Project overview

• Location: Jacksonville, Florida.
• Reported scope: More than 128,000 square feet across 15 DCPS campuses.
• Delivery model: Three annual upgrade groups followed by a focused Paxon entrance enhancement.
• Reported attachment quantity: More than 137,000 linear feet of 3M Impact Protection Attachment.
• Reported systems: 3M Ultra Night Vision S25, clear Ultra S800, Night Vision 25, Ultra Prestige 50, and 3M Impact Protection Attachment, selected for different openings and phases.

These quantities and product details are reported by Sea Cool in its public project profile. The profile does not publish contract pricing, campus plans, priority-opening maps, or other sensitive security details.

Why a multi-campus program needed more than one film specification

Sea Cool says the DCPS program matched film and attachment paths to the opening rather than applying one default product everywhere. The public profile identifies both tinted and clear options, including Ultra Night Vision S25 and clear Ultra S800. That approach can help a facilities team balance glass-retention goals with visibility, daylight, and appearance requirements, subject to a site-specific review.

Sea Cool also reports that the program included pane-by-pane measurements, material planning, occupied-campus coordination, and phased closeout documentation. Those logistics matter when work must move around active schools and annual construction groups.

Window film as one layer of school hardening

DCPS publicly described its broader Half-Penny school-hardening work as including controlled door access, fencing and gates, lighting, cameras, and emergency communications. In that context, window film addressed vulnerable glazing and glass damage as one part of a layered plan. A film project should therefore be specified alongside the school's access-control, emergency-response, and facilities requirements.

Lessons for other districts

1. Start with a glazing survey: Document glass, frames, opening sizes, access, and attachment compatibility before choosing a product.
2. Segment the scope: Clear, tinted, and solar-control films may serve different visibility and privacy objectives.
3. Plan around school operations: Multi-year groups can distribute budget and coordinate work around occupied campuses.
4. Specify the complete assembly: Review film, edge attachment, frame condition, installation method, and closeout records together.
5. Keep claims realistic: Treat security film as a glass-retention and potential forced-entry-delay measure, not ballistic glazing.

Key takeaways

• Sea Cool reports more than 128,000 square feet of film across 15 DCPS campuses.
• The program used multiple 3M film and attachment paths for different openings and phases.
• Phased measurements, installation, and closeout supported work across active school campuses.
• Window film was one layer in a broader school-hardening program.

Sources

1. Sea Cool — Duval County Public Schools Window Film Project
2. 3M — Ultra Safety and Security Window Film

Source note: Project scope, quantities, phasing, and product selection are summarized from Sea Cool's installer-reported case study. They are not presented as an independent audit or guarantee of performance.