BROOKSVILLE - The School Board and local governments need to communicate better.
That is clear in the county's reports on proposed subdivisions. Nearly every report has a section like the one presented to county commissioners last week when they approved a proposal for 87 new townhouses at Brooksville Golf and Country club.
After listing the elementary, middle and high schools that Brooksville Golf and Country Club residents will attend, the report stated:
"The School Board indicates that all three schools are currently over permanent capacity and any additional students would be accommodated by adding portables to the campuses."
Officials hope that such language will become less common now that the School Board, County Commission and Brooksville's City Council have drawn up a development agreement - required by a 2002 state law. Even if not mandated by the state, it would be a good idea, said Jerry Greif, the county's chief planner.
"I think there is a need, obviously, to come to grips with education and the number of students that is growing rather quickly," he said.
Staff members from the local governments and the schools met several times over the summer to write the agreement. They say it will help ensure adequate schools are available to serve the new residents attracted by development.
"The purpose is to get to the point where school planning and land use planning relate better," said Bill Geiger, the city's community development director.
The County Commission voted to approve the agreement last week. The Brooksville City Council and the School Board will consider it this week.
The agreement includes the following provisions:
Staffers representing all three parties must meet at least twice a year, and elected officials will meet annually.
The city and county will pass along information about housing starts and proposed zoning changes that affect future school enrollment. They must also provide the schools with regular population projections.
The schools will produce annual reports for the local governments on school capacity and construction plans for the next five years. The district also must consult with the affected local government on potential school sites.
What the agreement does not do is mandate that school space must be available for any new development.
"It doesn't go as far as creating a (potential) moratorium on development," Geiger said.
That would have been a possibility under an earlier proposal backed by Gov. Jeb Bush. He had pushed for schools to be included along with other public services, such as roads and utilities that must be accounted for with every change in the comprehensive plan.
The law requiring better coordination was passed instead, said Paul Wieczorek, the county planner primarily responsible for writing the agreement.
That is probably for the best, he said, because such a requirement would have been hard to enforce.
"It's a difficult concept to implement, in my opinion," Wieczorek said.
