UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

~~PURSUANT~~Date TOof ~~SECTION~~Report ~~13 OR 15~~(d)Date OFof ~~THE~~earliest ~~SECURITIES~~event ~~EXCHANGE~~reported): ~~ACT~~February OF16, ~~1934~~2016

~~Date~~JACKSONVILLE ~~of Report (Date of earliest event reported) November 9~~BANCORP, ~~2015~~INC.

~~JACKSONVILLE BANCORP, INC.~~ (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Florida	~~000-30248~~	59000-~~3472981~~30248		59-3472981
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	~~(Commission File Number)~~	(~~I.R.S.~~Commission ~~Employer~~File ~~Identification No.~~Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

100 North Laura Street, Suite 1000, Jacksonville, FL	32202
	100 North Laura Street, Suite 1000
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)
	Jacksonville, FL	32202
	(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(904) 421-3040 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code ~~904-421-3040~~)

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☒☑ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 28.0201 ~~RESULTS~~Other ~~OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION~~Events.

OnAs ~~November~~previously 9disclosed, ~~2015,~~ Jacksonville Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) ~~announced~~entered ~~via~~into ~~press~~an ~~release~~Agreement ~~its~~and ~~financial~~Plan ~~results~~of ~~for~~Merger ~~the~~with ~~third~~Ameris ~~quarter~~Bancorp, ~~ended~~a Georgia corporation (“Ameris”), dated as of September 30, 2015. A(the ~~copy~~“Merger Agreement”), providing for the merger of ~~this~~the ~~press~~Company ~~release~~with isand ~~attached~~into asAmeris ~~Exhibit~~(the 99“Merger”).1 In toconnection ~~this~~with ~~report~~the proposed Merger, Ameris filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (as amended, the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and isExchange ~~incorporated~~Commission ~~herein~~(the “SEC”), which Registration Statement was declared effective by ~~reference~~the SEC on February 4, 2016.

On February 4, 2016, the Company filed with the SEC the proxy statement/prospectus included in the Registration Statement as a definitive proxy statement, which was mailed to its shareholders on or about February 8, 2016, with respect to the special meeting of the Company’s shareholders scheduled to be held on March 11, 2016 to approve, among other things, the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated in the Merger Agreement, including the Merger. The proxy statement/prospectus sets forth a deadline of March 11, 2016 by which the Company’s shareholders must elect the type of consideration they wish to receive in the Merger (the “Merger Consideration Election”), subject to the proration provisions in the Merger Agreement. In connection with the Merger Consideration Election, on or about February 8, 2016, Computershare Investor Services, the exchange agent for the Merger, mailed an election statement to each registered holder of the Company’s common stock and nonvoting common stock pursuant to which such shareholder could elect the type of consideration he or she wishes to receive in the Merger, subject to the proration provisions in the Merger Agreement.

Ameris and the Company have determined to postpone the original deadline of March 11, 2016 for the Merger Consideration Election until a date following the consummation of the Merger, which new deadline will be determined by Ameris at a later time. In addition, the election statements previously mailed to the Company’s shareholders on or about February 8, 2016 should be disregarded and are of no further force or effect. A new election statement and letter of transmittal will be mailed to the Company’s shareholders following the consummation of the Merger with instructions on how shareholders can make the Merger Consideration Election and surrender their share certificates in exchange for payment of the Merger consideration. To properly make a Merger Consideration Election, the Company’s shareholders will be required to follow the procedures outlined in the new election statement and letter of transmittal to be mailed to them after the effective time of the Merger. The Company expects the Merger to be consummated in the first quarter of 2016.

Important Additional Information

InThis ~~connection~~filing ~~with~~may ~~the~~be ~~proposed~~deemed ~~merger,~~to ~~Ameris~~be ~~Bancorp~~solicitation ~~(“Ameris”)~~material ~~will~~in ~~file~~respect ~~with~~of the ~~Securities~~proposed ~~and~~acquisition ~~Exchange~~of ~~Commission (~~the ~~“SEC”)~~Company aby ~~registration~~Ameris. In ~~statement~~connection onwith ~~Form~~proposed ~~S-4~~Merger totransaction, ~~register~~Ameris ~~the~~filed ~~shares~~with ofthe ~~Ameris~~SEC ~~common~~on ~~stock~~December to7, be2015 ~~issued~~a toRegistration ~~the~~Statement ~~Company’s~~on ~~shareholders.~~Form ~~The~~S-4, ~~registration~~which ~~statement~~included ~~will include~~ a proxy statement-/prospectus ~~that~~for ~~will be sent to~~ the Company’s shareholders, inand ~~connection~~filed ~~with~~amendments ~~their~~to ~~consideration~~such ofRegistration ~~the~~Statement ~~approval~~on ofJanuary ~~the merger. In addition~~22, ~~Ameris~~2016 and ~~the~~February ~~Company~~3, ~~may~~2016, ~~file~~as well as other relevant ~~documents~~materials ~~concerning~~in connection with the proposed ~~merger~~transaction. The ~~with~~SEC declared the ~~SEC.~~Registration ~~The~~Statement ~~material~~effective on February 4, 2016. Also in ~~this~~connection ~~Current~~with ~~Report~~the onproposed ~~Form~~Merger ~~8-K~~transaction, ~~and~~the Company filed with the ~~exhibits~~SEC ~~furnished~~the orproxy ~~filed~~statement/prospectus ~~herewith~~on isFebruary ~~not~~4, a2016 ~~substitute~~and ~~for~~mailed the proxy statement-/prospectus ~~that~~to ~~Ameris~~its ~~will~~shareholders ~~file~~on ~~with~~or ~~the~~about ~~SEC~~February 8, 2016.

INVESTORS IN THE COMPANY ARE ENCOURAGED TO READ THE ~~REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND THE~~ PROXY STATEMENT-/PROSPECTUS ~~INCLUDED WITHIN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT~~ AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS ~~TO BE~~ FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED ~~TRANSACTION~~MERGER ~~WHEN~~OR ~~THEY~~INCORPORATED ~~BECOME~~BY ~~AVAILABLE,~~REFERENCE IN THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS BECAUSE THEY ~~WILL~~ CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ~~COMPANY, AMERIS AND THE~~ PROPOSED ~~TRANSACTION, INCLUDING DETAILED RISK FACTORS~~MERGER.

The proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Ameris and the Company, ~~will~~are be available without charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC in connection with the ~~merger~~Merger can also be obtained, ~~when available,~~ without charge, from Ameris’s website (http://www.amerisbank.com) and ~~the Company~~Jacksonville’s website (http://www.jaxbank.com).

This filing shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

Participants in the Proxy Solicitation

Ameris and the Company, and certain of their directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s shareholders in respect of the ~~merger~~Merger. Information regarding the directors and executive officers of Ameris and the Company and other persons who may be deemed participants in the solicitation of the Company’s shareholders in connection with the ~~merger~~Merger ~~will~~are beset ~~included~~forth in the proxy statement/prospectus ~~for~~and ~~the~~other ~~Company’s~~relevant ~~special~~documents ~~meeting~~that ofmay ~~shareholders, which will~~ be filed ~~by Ameris~~ with the SEC. Information about Ameris’s directors and executive officers can also be found in Ameris’s definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2015 annual meeting of shareholders, as filed with the SEC on April 17, 2015, and other documents subsequently filed by Ameris with the SEC. Information about the Company’s directors and executive officers can also be found in the Company’s definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2015 annual meeting of shareholders, as filed with the SEC on March 24, 2015, and other documents subsequently filed by the Company with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents regarding the merger filed with the SEC when they become available.

~~Item~~Forward-Looking ~~8.01 OTHER EVENTS~~Statements

~~The~~This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “estimate,” “continue,” “positions,” “prospects” or “potential,” by future conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could” or “may,” or by variations of such words or by similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current objectives, beliefs and expectations, and they are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, which change over time, that may cause actual results and timing of certain events to differ materially from the information in the forward-looking statements. The following factors among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: ability to meet closing conditions for the Merger, including approval by the Company’s shareholders of the Merger proposal and the charter amendment on the expected terms and schedule; delays in closing the Merger; difficulties and delays in integrating the Company’s business or fully realizing cost savings and other benefits; business disruption following the Merger; customer acceptance of Ameris’ products and services; the inability to realize cost savings or revenues or to implement integration plans and other consequences associated with mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; and other economic, business, competitive, and regulatory factors affecting the business of the Company set forth under ~~Item~~the 2heading titled “Risk Factors” in the proxy statement/prospectus and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC, including its annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.02 Readers ~~above~~are iscautioned ~~incorporated~~not ~~herein~~to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes make it clear that projected results expressed or implied in such statements will not be realized, except as may be required by ~~reference~~law.

Item 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(d) Exhibits

99.1 Press release dated as of November 9, 2015.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	JACKSONVILLE BANCORP, INC.	~~JACKSONVILLE BANCORP, INC.~~
Date:	November 9, 2015	/s/ Valerie A. Kendall
	By:	/s/	Valerie A. Kendall
		Valerie A. Kendall
	Name:		Valerie A. Kendall
		Executive Vice President
	Title:		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
		& Chief Financial Officer
Date: February 16, 2016

EXHIBIT INDEX

99.1 Press release dated as of November 9, 2015.

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