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Board tries to make room for students
By BARBARA BEHRENDT © St. Petersburg Times, published December 14, 2000 INVERNESS -- With student populations already stretching the seams of the district's three high schools and more growth coming, School Board members on Tuesday dealt with several issues they hope will ease their crowding problem. They agreed to a $50,000 study to see whether a 140-acre tract of land adjacent to Crystal River High School is suitable for growth. The board also heard a report on plans to move about 200 students out of overcrowded Lecanto High School in the fall. Board attorney Richard "Spike" Fitzpatrick told board members they had to decide whether they thought the Crystal River High land deal was beneficial to the district. A corporation linked to the Tamposi family offered the land after officials at the high school had tried for several years to purchase a slice of the land adjacent to the school. The property would provide access to the school site and serve other purposes. The proposal would trade 140 acres south and east of the school and around the Coastal Region Library for impact fees relief amounting to $1.4-million over several years. If the county approves larger impact fees for school growth, an issue the commission is studying, Fitzpatrick said the district will still receive twice as much in impact fees as it does now. Fitzpatrick urged the board to treat the transaction as a business deal since it wasn't really a donation. He also warned board members that, without a real study of the property, which may be largely wetlands, they will not know for sure how much of the land is usable. He also urged them to consider whether they needed that much land in Crystal River. Board members seemed torn. Though agreeing on the need to expand Crystal River High School, several said the real need for expansion was in the central part of the county, where growth is expected to be greatest in the coming years. . At the very least, board members said they were interested in having the study done so that they know if a small portion of the site would be suitable for use in case a deal can be negotiated to acquire just that part of the larger tract. The board agreed to move forward with the study, which will touch on potential environmental and wildlife concerns on the site, as well as soil and other geological conditions. The board also heard about a proposed rezoning that would send 175 students from the Holder area who now attend Lecanto High School to Citrus High -- and another two dozen students now zoned to attend Lecanto High to Crystal River High School. Officials met with parents several weeks ago and heard several common themes beyond just that they didn't want to see their students moved. They also questioned whether the district should be building a new high school rather than shuffling students in existing schools. They also suggested several areas where students shouldn't be moved. The rezoning is seen as a fix for a temporary glut of high school students who will move through the county's schools over the next three years before the enrollment drops off. The only change proposed in the rezoning after the meetings was a small slice of area near U.S. 41 and County Road 486 slated to go to Citrus High who want to stay at Lecanto High. The board will have a public hearing on the entire rezoning proposal at their January meeting. In an unrelated report, Fitzpatrick put the board on notice that the contractor for the current renovation project going on at Crystal River Middle School has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. D.E. Wallace of Alachua County is still expected to complete the project and pay the subcontractors on the project, Fitzpatrick said. However, Fitzpatrick said he retained the services of another attorney with bankruptcy expertise just to be sure that the school system is protected. That will cost the district between $5,000 and $6,000, he said.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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