Lake County School Board Workshop - September 3, 2025

001Good morning. I'd like to call this uh regular schoolboard workshop to order. Uh please stand for a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Good morning, superintendent, fellow board members, staff, and the community. Thank you all for being here today. Um, as we get moving on here, um, we're going to move public input to after the presenters get to give their comments on the project. So, we're not giving comments twice. Um, so we can hear their presentation, we'll hear from the public, and then we'll deliberate as a board on that one. Um, so we're going to move forward to

002the topics today. Um, I would also recommend if we could move 3.02, u, Miss Deanna Thomas' presentation up to 3.01, 1 um to get her uh moving on with the rest of her day and then we'll move on with the rest of the agenda as proposed if that's good with everybody. >> Sure. >> All right. Hearing that, we're going to do Lincoln Park Education Center update. Miss Diana Thomas. >> Yep. There the podium wherever you'd like to be. >> Is this on? We're good. >> It should be >> now. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Very good. Well, good morning school board members, superintendent, and district staff. I appreciate the opportunity to be here with you and share a little bit about the exciting work that is going down um in South County in Claremont uh in

003conjunction with your Lincoln Park Education Center campus. So, in a recent conversation with the superintendent, we realized I hadn't really updated you formally. I know I see many of you out in the community and give little updates here and there, but haven't been able to officially let you know what's going on. So, that's what I intend to do is share just a little bit um with you about what we're referring to as um Lake Tech South to make it quick and easy. Um as you know, we've been up here in the north end of the county since 1967 and really need to expand our footprint and offer services to those in the south. So, that's what we're working on now. There we go. So, just to give you a quick visual, um you can see

004the aesthetics. This is our board for phase one, which is the renovation of the current gym. and um the architect chose to kind of mimic the design and the scheme that you all did in the Lincoln Park Education Center, but branding it with the Lake Tech brand um to differentiate, show the difference, but yet tie in the two design elements together. So, I wanted to share with you the current phase that's underway now in the former gymnasium, which looks a little bit like this. It includes um four classrooms total. Three of those classrooms are adjoined to labs for the type of programs that will be there. Um it contains four teacher offices, a break room, uh restroom upgrade, those type of things. We will be launching HVAC training in that area in the day and

005likely apprenticeship programs in the evening. We formerly ran an HVAC apprentice in Eustace, but many of those apprentices worked in the south end of the county, so it was hard for them to get up here for the related technical instruction. We plan to do that at that location. um will also be offering electrician uh training program there as well as partnering with Lake Sumpre State College. They have not determined exactly what program they will be offering there, but one of those classrooms and lab space are dedicated for programming for Lake Sumpre State College as well as an additional classroom that could be utilized by both entities. Uh this was funded uh solely on a workforce capitalization grant given from the state of Florida. So 100% paid for through that grant to include FFN and the

006equipment and the things that we need. Lake Sumpter State College also wrote a grant in conjunction for the equipment and the FFN that they'll need to outfit that. So that is phase one currently. And just to show you a couple of pictures, I don't know how familiar you familiar you are with the property, but what you're looking at there is the former um locker rooms and showers from many, many, many years ago um that have been all uh working on demo so that we can construct a break room and redo the bathrooms and things in those area. And then you can see the gym. Um all of that old flooring is up, demo is done, and mitigation has been completed in that area. So anticipated to be done in March of 2026. Uh it may

007be too late. We wanted to start programming in the spring, but depending on how that works out, it may be August, but if we can start some programming in the spring, that's our intention there um on site in phase one. Any questions on that so far? >> Exciting. >> Yes, exciting indeed. So, this will give you an idea of what we're thinking about doing on the remainder of the property. a very uh kind of conceptual idea um based on of course funding for programs and based on um dedicated and targeted occupations as identified through Florida Commerce. Um all programs that we offer are on a high wage, high skill or high demand list. And so any workforce programs that we offer in that area would be um first looked at through that list and then

008also partnering with our over 200 business and industry partners that currently work with Lake Technical College to decide what programming we will offer there. But just to give you an idea of uh some of what we're thinking, you can see on the right hand side the current phase one that I just showed you in a larger scale. And then the idea was always to work from right to left, obviously closer to your completed high school campus and then working the other direction knowing that we likely need to um get these funds in phases. So we would love to just do it all at one time, but that's not the reality. So we're working from the right side of the campus to the left. Um and so you'll see some of the programming, a couple of

009the things we were looking at to be unique in that area. I I don't know how familiar you are with the Lincoln Park community, but it's a very synergistic type of community that is very engaged and um just embedded there through and through. And so we wanted to kind of pay back and say how do we offer programming but still do great things for the community. So one of the projects that we've been talking about and in conversation with Lake State College is a combination of doing dental assisting and dental hygienist there. Hygienist is at the state college level, assisting is at the tech college level. we could share space and um instructors which will be a savings across the board. Um but it will also allow for an indigent dental clinic in the area

010so that members of the community will be able to come in to get free or reduced dental services which we think is a great great thing in that area. >> The other would be um bringing our baking and pastry arts program. We currently offer culinary here in the north end and baking and pastry arts, but many of those students complete and go on to work in the hospitality areas of CMI, um, all of the theme parks over in the Orlando area. So, we have a lot of students that drive from the south up to take that program. And we'd also like to launch baking and pastry arts there and turn that into a community type of bakery. So, residents could buy discounted breads or goods. uh also the students or the faculty and staff that

011are on site could take advantage and have some treats and um the students would be able to do their hands-on work. So those are a couple of the programs obviously that would involve the community, but then we're looking at our healthcare programs because there's need we run them now in the north and south end of the county. Um as well as IT and business and our adult education. Um two other components besides programming would be offering a Pearson View testing center in the south end of the county. We're currently authorized Pearson View testing in Eustace, but there is not an area in the south end of the county and there's a huge need. Uh, so we would authorize that site also as a second site for us in testing. And then I've been in communication

012with community partners such as Career Source Central Florida who would also like to have an area in the south because many of their um, individuals drive all the way up to the Leburg office here to gain services for, you know, job seekers or upskilling or those types of things. So really just thinking about it in a holistic way to also engage those high school students that are there in what's next. Whether they do it as a dual- enrolled program or whether they do it as let's finish and get this diploma and then we're going to go into some type of quick short-term skill that will lead to a high wage high skill job. And of course keeping with our branding of Lake Works with the state college so that as we have these high school

013students that do something at a tech college they can either stop there and go to work or they can articulate that credit and go on to higher degrees. So really just creating that pathway from them from the beginning to the end. So again, just a concept, but some of the ideas that we're thinking as we get closer, we'll look at market demand and make u solid decisions about what would be offered there. So we received at this last latest legislative session $4.9 million thanks to Representative Trunow and uh Senator Trunau and Representative Yaroski uh working for um site work for that. So many of the grants, I'm sure you're familiar, the grants that we write are very programsp specific, but when you look at this site, we have restrooms that are very, very old and

014that were configured for um secondary elementary students. We have a site that isn't conducive to college students driving to the site because they were mostly students bust in. So, we have to do some site work and this appropriation request is what is going to allow us to do the site work because it is not based on program specific. So the idea with this funding is that we would start to do all of the site work needed for the campus uh including the office areas and creating that front entrance because we don't really have an entrance where students can go in and register, talk to an admissions counselor or financial aid. So the former entrance of the Claremont Elementary School on Bloxom would become our entrance for Lake Technical College. And so the hope is that

015we would renovate those office areas and of course do the uh restrooms across the campus that need to be updated so we can start to bring in further programming. So at that once we received the appropriation request and we already have $800,000 set aside from Lake County government that was given to us through ARPA funds specifically for the south end of the county. So together we have about 5.8 million uh to go towards that. So we issued a task order to our uh architect. We've been using Gator Sketch Designs for our projects. We continued with Scorpio Construction, who is who you all used for the high school portion. Uh they already were familiar with the property, so it made a really easy transition just to let them continue on. They kind of knew what what

016the inner workings were or I should say underground workings of that bu building. Uh so it's been a smooth transition in that respect. But the task study is really what brings me here today to kind of get the um feeling of what you as a board would like to do. I never want to assume anything. I know that you all said Lake Tech, we'd love to have you there. We've really jumped on board and done that. Um, but in thinking about the programs and the things in the community I just mentioned to do to you, that leads to a situation of parking. So, in order to create the parking spaces that we need uh for twofold, one, the number of spaces we need based on the students we'll be serving, but two, the storm water

017situation there, which I wish I was an expert on, but I'm not. I brought the architect in case you have questions, but we're already needing to do some storm water um storage and work on the um well, when you're looking at it would be the left side of the campus there, the south side, I guess, um on the actual on property. If we try to put the amount of spaces we need, we're going to have to reduce buildings and there therefore we'll lose instructional space. So, you currently have a gravel parking. If you look at the parking area in this photo, you have a gravel parking area sort of where those first two lines are, which is where we intend to let the students in phase one park now, the HVAC and electrician students. There's

018enough spaces for them to park there and just walk over into the former gym. U but we need more spaces and we know that you have property there on the back side of that property. I think our district some district offices and the the healthc care uh the wellness center. Um, but there's some property there and I'm not sure what the plan was for the school district on that property, but I'm here to ask if you would consider letting us um develop that and use that as a parking space area for students to be able to go um and attend classes there. And I I want to also share these are proposed programs, but we've opened any of this building up to Lake Sumpre State College as well. they have their own funding and their

019things they're working on obviously in their building that's just a mile down the road but anything we can do in combination we're very open to that so it's not just Lake Tech but it would be our primary space sort of like our space in Eustace for the south uh but we imagine there'll be lots of people in and out Pearson View testers people seeing career source so we need the parking space for that so that's what I wanted to share with you today and answer any questions you may have or concerns >> there's buildings there now where you're saying >> there are no buildings right Now, it's just it's just a grassy area. They're on the opposite side. So, there would still be a grassy area in between. >> Um there's still some space there.

020It's not taking probably about half of that. And there would be a small retention pond. You can see in the area back there for the storm water situation. >> I think one of the most exciting things about you asking for that is that means so many other people will stop asking for that property, >> you know, because I I feel like those calls are are non-stop. I mean, it's certainly prime prime real estate. Uh, in terms of what I'm seeing, I'm just really excited about what you're doing there in the community. Um, the collaboration I'm hearing and the spirit and the way you're connecting with the community is just more than I ever dreamed was going to be possible. So, once again, kudos for this brilliant outside the box thinking >> and it seems like

021a no-brainer to me that you're going to need parking in order to make all this happen. So, >> I'm supportive. >> Is this hard parking or is it gravel? >> It will be hard parking. >> We'll we'll asphalt. We'll do it. >> It's gravel currently. It's gravel currently in the first the first two rows. The rest is just grass and kind of >> dirt. >> Yeah. >> Just spitballing since you're doing things. >> It'd be really nice, I think, if if on the weekends or whatever if they set up where they could play basketball on it. >> Put some hoops. Just >> Yes. >> And >> that would be something to consider. I know there's some and some things in there, but >> McKenna Park is here. >> Yeah, there's a park there. >> I

022I think there is. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. Never mind. We'll give them a couple extra hoops. >> I would like to I would like to note, too, some of the parking will be redone in the back area, which you can see there at the top right of the photo. So, there'll be some parking there and then also on the left end because if we do the dental lab, we want um consumers to be able to just come in, park there, and not be wandering all over campus. So, they would just come to that area and enter straight into the dental lab. >> So, they'll be parking there as well. >> Wonderful. board. Any other questions or comments? >> Just want to verify the buildings that are there. They will remain. >> Yes, that's what

023the plan is. We're working everything around, which is made it interesting all at once. Especially, I would like to say thank you to the district staff who have been working with me diligently because, you know, we are higher ed, so we're a little different than the K12 type of buildings and the things that we want to do are very different than a third grade classroom. Um, so yes, we've been working to leave the footprint of what's there um and just do mostly renovation. Uh, at this time there's no expansion for any new buildings. It would just be renovating the ex existing footprint. >> Thanks. >> All right. Excellent. >> All right, >> Dana, thank you very much. We appreciate your leadership and partnership. Um, this is looking fantastic. So, thank you very much. >> Great.

024Thank you all very much. >> Sure. All good. Next up will be uh the 5-year capital plan, Miss Kelly Randall. [Music] >> Good morning. >> Superintendent, board members, uh board chair, I appreciate the opportunity. My annual update on the capital plan. Um just a reminder the uh by the interlocal agreement it is usually adopted by September 15th and we sent it a draft to the local governments um by mid August. I think we sent it on August 14th maybe. Um so I want to spend a little bit more time. I usually just give you a little quick reminder of what our revenue sources are every year. Um, but I want to spend a little bit more time actually talking about those revenue sources in in um in detail. So, you know, there's three uh our

025ad valorum, property tax, we call it a bunch of different things. Scott likes to call it local capital outlay. Um, and that usually that is our most flexible money. It pays for ongoing expenditures, but it also is the the revenue source that is most likely to be hit when there's something else that's going on. Right. So, we have um by state statute, we now provide a share to our charter schools. Um and that increases as we add charter schools. Um so, we are now estimating over $12 million over 5 years. um from that it is now they have opened it up to a lot more um things that can be transferred to the general fund to supplant other um costs and with the pressure on the general fund then you know there's actually more pressure

026on the capital fund as well. So um you'll see that the insurance transfer increases this year and um and also the capital staff transfer. So that is basically I'm apologize my voice um in case you didn't know and we went to Disney last night with the grandkids and so Tron was a really fun ride. >> So my voice is a little rough today. Um but the capital staff transfer there are a lot more staff that can be um paid out of the general or the capital fund at this point and uh so that transfer goes up and then as you know costs increase it goes up every year um in this this plan. the capital school equipment transfer. Um that is just kind of a general school equipment that we um provide. And so that

027amount has increased. And then as we add um safety upgrades as we have um unfunded mandates from the state, those usually hit the capital fund in the property tax area. And so there's a lot of pressure on that um to keep us going, right? So we also have impact fees. Those are dedicated to new capacity only. Um we have just this year completed the Minnola Horizon Academy and Villages Elementary. Those were both paid out of um C or out of impact fees. Wellness way. We have programmed um an elementary school relief which will relieve both Lost Lake and Sawrass Bay. And then of course the infamous Wellness Way High School trip C um which is in the the plan and is funded. But the other thing that we can do with impact fees is we

028can um adjust for additional capacity at renovated schools. Right? So Treadway Elementary School when we rebuild that school in the later years of the plan there will be some additional capacity there and that can be funded through impact fees. Same thing with Cypress Ridge. Um it also allows us to do portable replacements and so we are able to use some of that funding for that. And then um also the capital equipment that we're using for those new renovated schools like at Minola Horizon Academy and Villages Elementary. So it pays for the computers and the technology that um goes into that and proportionate share mitigation is actually separate from impact fees. Right? So in the end the developers get credits for their impact fees if they pay proportionate share mitigation but it is actually separate. So

029it has to be dedicated to a specific project when we collect those funds. We have been collecting funds for three spec three areas. Um North High School capacity part of that is going towards um Eustace High School and additional capacity that we're building there. Um we did a while ago we built a concrete modular unit at Tavar's High School and that was actually paid for with proportionate share mitigation. In the south county, we are collecting um PSM for uh high school capacity. So far, we have collected about $7 million. Um and that is dedicated to the high school that we'll build we'll be building. Um and then Leburg area, there was a a short period where we were out of concurrency capacity for the elementary school level. um with the projects that we were building

030in Leburg area then that has been mitigated you know we don't have that problem any longer but there for a little bit we were collecting and collected um 1.8 8 million that was put towards Beverly Shores and the Villages Elementary. Um, but we're not collecting any new agreements. And I know proportionate share mitigation like you see the agreements all the time, but I want to make sure that you know we talked about it a little bit more in detail. Um, and do you have any questions on that one? >> No, >> I have a question. I wonder, you know, it's been some time now since we've put in the agreement with the board of county commissioners about the impact fees and the um forgiveness agreement for >> correct. I was just curious if there's been

031any um have you guys collected any research in regards to how much money that has taken out of the availability of funds for capacity and new projects? Like has there been any look at that? And I'm >> So it's not that it takes it out, right? So it um >> No, no, but we don't get paid >> well >> the impact fee. So, but we get the proportionate shared mitigation pay. I'm talking about the impact fee though, >> right? But it's it's balance out one for one, >> right? So, so they pay us say it's an agreement for a million dollars. They get a million dollars worth of impact fee credits. >> So, we're not losing many money. We're basically >> it's essentially a prepaid. It's the same impact amount. >> Well, yeah. Pre- reservation

032or whatever word you want to use. The impact fee number still payment. But what you said, what you said is what I'm interested in because you said it's basically a one for one. Do we have that? We know that for sure. Have you looked at those dollars specifically? >> Helen, is there anything that you would say? I brought Helen Levali because she is our proportion share mitigation. Hi, Ellen. >> Yes, we we Helen Leval growth thing. >> We actually do get reports every year on this um from the county itself and it is a one for one. >> Okay, perfect. Thank you very much. >> Thank I knew I needed her here for something. >> All right. Okay. Any other questions on that? All right. Then the other um revenue source for capital is the

033sales tax proceeds. And if you remember, those were approved by the voters gosh, maybe 2016, 2015, quite a long time ago. They went into effect in 2018. And it is a 15-year window. Um this is one, it's actually by the county, right? So, it's a 1 cent infrastructure sales tax. We get one-third of that. Um, and it will expire in 2032. So, our goal in order to um convince the voters that they want to vote for us again next time is to make sure that we do all of those projects as we go. So, it was we had a very specific list of projects that we put out. Um they were they started off as Claremont Elementary and Claremont Middle that became Aurelia Cole Academy K8. Um the Futland Park replacement which we have done

034Beverly Shores Elementary we are in progress. Eustace Elementary which we're going to talk a lot about today. Um Eustace High School edition, Oak Park, Leburg K8 which will roll in here very quickly. And then Treadway Cypress Ridge and Umatillaa Middle School. they are all in some in the capital plan in some form. And so I think we are on track um to make sure that we have all of those projects done um by the time our uh by the time this window closes. Um they are supplemented by ad valorum and by impact fees as they're appropriate and as it's necessary to stay on schedule. And eventually if we do all of these projects and we have some money left over, we can use them for um technology infrastructure upgrades and capital renewal. So any questions

035on revenue sources? All right. Um so just generally over overall there is a continued increase in the property tax revenue. Um we have projected impact fees assuming that you know all goes well and um of course those are to some extent subject to the county's approval um that we have that to 212 million over 5 years. Sales tax revenue has stayed relatively stable. The state's not giving us any more money. Um, and so we have a a total of 960 million in this plan. 183 million of that is carryover for this year. Basically, money because we're on a pay as you go schedule, then we're we save up money for projects, right? All right. Challenges, they they are always there. They um remain. So, some of them have been mitigated a little bit over the

036the last bit. um tariffs have added a new twist to the the thing and I'm not sure that we have really seen what the the impacts of those are. Right. So um we'll be monitoring that and hoping for the best. Um there has been some inflation. Supply chain issues um have not been they've kind of mitigated a little bit. we have not had as quite as many issues, but labor shortages have become a little bit of a bigger problem. Um, some of the long lead times, we're still having long lead times on windows and glass, but not so much on switch gear. Um, chillers, they're kind of an average at this point. Um, again, there are increased demands on our our local capital outlay or um, Adalorum or Millage or local whatever you want to

037call it. Um, and cash flow is always a little bit of a challenge making sure that we have um all the cash at the time that we need it. So, my goals always the same. Let's be realistic. Let's make sure that we're balancing our revenue. Um, I I have learned a lot about realistic construction timelines in the last year or so. So, we're going to try and make sure that we build that in. Um, we I think we had a really successful opening this year and I think that was because we gave ourselves enough time to actually build these projects. So, uh, and we want to maintain our stable spending on annual expenditures. Um, one of the things that I think that we're going to have to address as we go is is actually aging

038infrastructure, right? So, a lot of these schools that we think are relatively new, um, they're they're going on 20 years old. So, you know, when I came to the district almost 20 years ago, we had just opened a bunch of new schools and now those schools are 20 years old. And so, that kind of is approaching a midlife for most of our schools. So, I know that maintenance has been doing a lot of study on that and um and we'll talk a little bit about how we're going to start building in some funding for that um to go. All right. So, any questions on revenue projections? No. All right, we'll keep going. So, our ongoing expenditures, um, as I said earlier, there's a required share with the charter schools. Um, we are trying to increase

039maintenance funding because, um, like I said, we are seeing that aging of some of those schools that even though honestly our average age of schools is not is really not bad, um, they are starting to to age. Um especially we have a lot of schools that we built in the '9s and the 2000s and those schools are uh they are approaching midlife. Um, as I said before, the transfers are increasing. Um, and that does hit our adorum. And just as a note, um, portable installation, we had added that line item a couple of years ago, but I've actually changed the title to portable operations because we are sending some portables back. There's a cost involved in that. And so, it's just a better description for what we're doing, right? They're not all installations. Sometimes we're

040we're doing other things. >> If I can just make one comment on the property insurance transfer. Um, one of those things the state now allows us to do is to have the liability insurance premium come from the capital fund now instead of just the property. So that 6 million number is the property insurance plus all the liability or casualty insurance. Our property alone isn't that amount. So the total is now coming out of the capital fund instead of that portion from the general fund. Excuse me. Um, one of the questions that uh, one of you asked me was about our debt. And so, um, Mr. Todd's like, "That was me." So, um, you're going to say it. >> Do you want to go ahead? No, go ahead. >> So, the the total debt at this

041point is below $und00 million. We're at 96.465 million in cops and 1.129 in um, SBE bonds. Our expected payoff is January of 2030 for the SBE bonds and then um June of 2031 for the cops. So we are making progress. Um >> amazing we're celebrating under hund00 million of debt, right? >> But like I mean if we recall what it was like, you know, when when this capital plan had no projects in it because all we were doing was paying debt, you know. >> Yeah. So it is it is definitely something. >> 438 million. Well, 45 million a year. We were >> It was It was awful. >> It was right. We were down below >> 18ish a year. >> Something a year. Right. >> We're getting there. Very well done. >> So, uh so

042actually you can see that on the next page. We average about 18 million a year and um if you think you got one more year next year, we'll be talking about that last year of debt payments. Um assuming that we don't have to borrow any more money, but um than the year after that. We're so close. >> We're there. All right. Um, are there any questions on the ongoing expenditures? >> Excuse me. Do conversions get a portion of the capital or No. So um so conversion charters because there are schools then um I don't believe that they oh Scott >> they don't get a portion but we do provide maintenance for their buildings and repairs and and if something fails like the children will replace the children >> we don't give them straight cash but

043we doain obviously expend money on them >> I knew that we were maintaining them I just didn't know if the law had changed where we had to give them any So okay. >> Okay. So um so this when we get into the working part which is usually the more fun part. Uh let's see. So new capacity there's you know because we are saving up money for the high school then generally going to be fewer projects as we go. Did have Minnola Horizon Academy opened that was a new purely new capacity. Village elementary school um also purely new capacity. We are monitoring the North County High School capacity issues. Um, as I said, we're adding capacity at least at Eustace High School. Um, and then we are monitoring Mount Dora High School, but of course there's

044there's two um new potential schools that could come in and affect our um capacity in those areas or our enrollment really. Um, the I'm going to say it wrong. Matter. I always want to say Mater every time. Um, Matter Academy, uh, Mount Dora. Um, they have a charter, uh, with us for a high school. And then, um, American Heritage Private School um, on Brit Road. They have some property. So, we're monitoring those and, um, going to try and make sure that we come up with the appropriate um, capacity project to address those. And then the South County high school is fully funded in 2829. I did have if I had purely wrote the rolled this forward, we would have had design funding in um 2728. But because there's some language in our concurrency um interlocal

045agreement that basically says then we have to rely on that capacity since we don't have a school site. Um, I felt it was more judicious to go ahead and put all of that funding in the fourth year of the plan rather than the third year of the plan. >> Kelly, can you share what we estimate a new high school cost these days? >> So, you know, we have it funded at about $200 million and >> one high school, $200 million. >> Yes. Um, Orange County will argue with you that their new high school did not cost $300 million, but >> um, you know, I think there's a good chance it did. Uh and then the wellness way relief um elementary is rolls in in the last year of the plan. Um basically I think you

046know one of the things that keeps me awake at night is seeing that connector going through up on the 429 and knowing how quickly Horizon's West built out um after the 429 went in through the south. So, I am very concerned about how quickly Wellness Way is going to start building out once that connector goes through to the 27 and um and so I think we need to really start planning for that as we go. >> Kelly, if I can make a comment on that one. Um after speaking with Kelly and Kathleen Dial at the county um the superintendent and Mr. Cole this morning. Um, Orange County in the city of Orlando actually owns about 2,700 acres in Wellness Way um that they've had since the '7s for reuse and mitigation other purposes. Um, and

047the suggestion was uh for us as the board uh to reach out to Mayor Demings from the county um from Orange County to see if they would be interested um in negotiations for us to acquire about 80 acres of that 2700 acres of Lake County land in Lake County that Orange County owns um to build this high school. Um, so after speaking with Mr. Cole this morning, we're going to reach out through Robert Stewart, our lobbyist, to try to get a meeting set up to start those conversations um, and keep moving forward on at least planning for this inevitable growth and and get that site acquired. So, just want to put that out there. >> That would be great. >> Brilliant. >> All right. Um, couple of pretty pictures. So, this one actually was provided

048by Wharton Smith of uh, Minola Horizon Academy. It's very pretty. And then, uh, the villages elementary edition. So, those were some completed projects and I just want to brag on my team at facilities a little bit. I mean, it has been a rough year for us, but uh but I I have done an amazing job. I've got a couple of my project managers, Alex and Dave, in the back and Rich is actually out at at work, but um but honestly, the whole team uh is just an amazing group and I am really happy and proud to be able to work with them. Um, so capital plan renovations, sales tax projects. We finished Fruitland Park Elementary School. Um, Beverly Shores renovation, the construction after a really uh, quick turnover. We were able to get them under

049construction the first week of June in 2025. Um, and knock on wood, everything looks really good for a a quick completion. Um, used as elementary school, we're going to talk a lot about that today. So that is in master planning um and is funded for the 2627 year high school edition is in design and um we're going to talk a little bit more about that in a minute. The next projects uh Oak Park Middle School Leburg Elementary School we should be putting out an RFQ for that um for both design and construction managers in next spring. Um it is design funded in 2627. So you should start hearing a little bit more about that. Uh Treadway Elementary School, Cypress Ridge and Umatillaa. Those are kind of in the the later years of the plans. So

050we'll start working on those scopes. Um the Castaldi analyses and that kind of thing as we go. So >> all right Park Elementary School. Unfortunately, Shankl Schultz didn't get the picture in fast enough for me to be able to do this, but there's a really beautiful picture of it. Um, but unfortunately, you got the one that I took. Uh, Beverly Shores, >> that's all of the school. They did a great job. Um, Beverly Shores replacement is under construction. You can see they have poured the footers and um are doing a lot of the underground infrastructure work um right now. So, that's exciting. They are making great progress. Uh used as high edition. So we're going to talk a little bit about this. This is a nice rendering by the architect um Ziscovich has now become

051Stratus. If you hear me talking about Strat Bless you. If you hear me talking about Stratus um then that is who that is. Uh CPPI is the design manager. We're working through um design right now and expect construction to start in spring of 2026 with completion in July of 2027. But I want to talk a little bit about what the scope looks like. Um so when we started off if you see so building 9 there is actually the addition. 600 student station addition to replace um Kurt Wright uh 9th grade center and then so we always expected the addition a wait room and then we had programmed in where the parking is showing on that a replacement practice field to replace our kind of halfsiz practice field that they have. Um however after looking through

052the uh after working with the the school and the team there has been some expansion of the scope. So what that means is a proposal now is for parking in the location of the old softball field a practice field um down adjacent to the football field and then a um a fieldhouse and public restrooms. um that are buildings 12 and 14 down there. Those are increases in the scope. Okay, so that increases the budget. Um and that means that this plan has approximately $9 million more um budgeted for this project. However, and and Chad will tell you I was very he they they we had they we had a lot of discussions about this. Just say it that way. Um but actually once we went back and we did the study and we looked at

053what Eustace High School had um as far as athletic facilities and what all of our other high school had there was not a lot of equity there. Right. So Eustace High School had approximately one one weight room uh that was 1,150 square feet. >> It's very small. Um and all of our other high schools average about 700 or 7,500 square feet. Um adding this fieldhouse along with the new weight room that we always kind of plan for. Um adding the new fieldhouse will take that uh to within kind of range of everybody else, right? So about 8,000 square ft of additional space. So it's a it's an expansion of scope. I want to make sure that you were aware of it and that you were okay with it before I triggered the architect and everybody

054else to keep working on this. So, >> I just have a question. >> Any questions? >> Yeah, I have a question. Where is the softball field? Because Eustace has a pretty famous softball team. >> So, they actually have a very nice new field over adjacent to their baseball field at Eustace Heights. It's over across from um the planning and program accountability. >> Yeah. So, they actually have very nice uh softball field over there. >> I also wondered um in regards to Sorry, I I do have a cold. >> No kidding. >> How do you How do you say you have kids in in school that just went back without saying it, right? So, it has finally made its way to the blue. >> Paul's got to be feeling pretty good about herself. >> I know.

055I'm moving away from her, just so you know. I have to put it down away from poly and it just started literally last night. Anyway, um >> mask >> I did wonder cuz I know currently they're sc they're they've been prepping the field next to the softball field for the football practice field, right? And then they're going to put it on the back side of the where the current football field is. In the Eustace Elementary School rendering that is next on the agenda, there was some space that was behind the 9th grade center. Is that not a better space for the temporary practice field than all the money that we're putting in to make the practice field by the Eustace High School softball field when that's just a temporary space? So, we actually looked at

056that um and kind of debated those two two things. Um and it was, you know, the opinion of district staff, the school staff that um because we already had the the fieldhouse space over at um at Eustace Heights site that that basically became a better spot for the temporary plast practice field, right? because we would have to go in, we'd have to put in um bathrooms at Kurt Wright um in the backside. And so >> what bathrooms are being used for the practice field, the softball bathrooms? >> Um you know what, I am not 100% in on that. Are we >> Yeah, we'll likely use the bathroom facilities there at softball field. If you looked at the As we looked at the two evaluating the two sites, the field that you're referring to over towards

057car right correct behind there. It it's in pretty rough shape. So when it comes to prepar preparing the field to be able to practice on it from laser grading to replacing some of the issues that were out there, lots of holes that was going to have to be receated. most of your cost would have been very similar to that. Um, and because we've already got students accustomed to coming over and having athletics over there, we do have some restroom infrastructure there. Um, we'll probably look at some temporary storage um, containers out there, but it that that that's not a real high cost, but for a temporary situation. And then going back to what can that space that will be irrigated, which it was already irrigated, it had be brought up to speed. Um, what could

058that be used for in the future, you know, whether it's being able to do some band practice there or or or soccer or whatever sports that they have other than football that would provide some extra um area for the high school to use more readily than we felt like with especially, you know, with the undetermined future of the Cartright Center also. Um, so we just felt like it was best to invest in that piece of property. >> Yeah, the Kurt Wright piece is what makes sense now. I just knew it was a temporary. >> Um, so that's where the the confusion was. I don't think that the bathroom infrastructures I mean, okay, so if I'm being realistic with you, you've seen the state of the bathrooms at the baseball field >> and so now you've

059got a softball field that's primarily used by girls and parents and you're going to you're going to impose a football team on to those bathrooms, which is concerning. Um, really concerning. Like I'm just going to put that out there from the perspective of what I've seen in the baseball locker room. Um and then the other thing I will say is that we have got to and I've said this before. >> Um there has got to be an update to the forms on students transporting students. And so one of the things that we face at Eustace High School with a field that's offsite is students are transporting students. Whether we are acknowledging that's that that's happening. It happens. my my own kids have been subject to that to writing with students and to transporting students and

060so we have this form that says that on every instance that that occurs there's supposed to be a note like that's our current policy and I don't love a policy that we are clearly not following like why have the policy so I would love and what I hear you saying is that we can use those spaces which is great I mean I don't disagree with using those spaces but is a challenge >> I I think we'll have to look at it as it comes in regards to, you know, we don't want, you're right, we don't want to put too much pressure on some of those existing facilities. I think there's going to have to be some elevated ownership from the school level to make sure as we're putting more people over there. >> That's the

061other thing I will tell you is that offsite the maintenance for the lawn is always a challenge as well. So, that's another >> and and we try to lean in and help where we can. Um, for sure it's it's been a team effort with that because it does it's challenging for the school being for that being offsite, right? And especially, you know, as as that leadership there is continuing with three sites as you got car right, you've got this off field. So I I think the school was was also, you know, thankful that we were looking at locating and expanding the scope. So that way, man, we're drawing everything into this campus and giving the kids of use what they deserve. So um so that was nice of uh the community and the school to

062advocate for let's get this closer to one space. >> Yeah, I don't mind it at all. Like I I I like the theory, but I think sometimes there's unintended consequences that the users experience that we don't experience at this level. >> And if we have to look at some temporary um restroom type situation um similar we're doing in some other spaces, we can work that out. >> Yeah. And a lot of that um the the temporary field was for timing, right? So, we're going to be using the existing, well, we're going to be building on the existing field and then the rest of it we're going to be using for lay down. We wanted to make sure that we had a field that was usable during that construction period. And so, it was a matter

063of getting in there, going ahead and getting it seated, getting it grown out before we actually needed to use it. >> Yep. And I'm glad we're using that space. I mean, we do have space there. We've talked about it. >> Yes, we do. And it's looking great. It's It's growing in nice. If we can keep traffic off of it until it's time to use it, we'll uh we'll be in really good shape. So, >> and Dr. Look, I had one comment. We're pulling it up to make sure. I know we addressed that students transporting students last year. Um it's a matter of what the language says directly relating to what you're referring to. Um because I know we had the conversation and I remember seeing something updated from Mr. Order, but trying to figure out

064what exactly that says, but I I agree with you in your concern level on that. Yeah, I think it might it might still say per um yeah, that's the part that um we're we're looking to see because we did have that conversation and we agree it does need to be changed. So, we'll get we'll get that resolved. >> And perhaps maybe there's some training that goes because I I know your your high school is not the only one. You know, I experienced the same thing down on my end too of of that exactly what you described. >> Yeah. >> Yep. We're on it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions or comments on the additional scope? Um, I I agree it's a worthwhile investment to get that up to speed and and do

065the project right the first time. So, um, I'm excited to to make it happen. >> All right, great. >> All right, Kelly, back to you. >> All right, so um, other things that are in the capital plan are that other capital projects. Um, you'll see a line item for capital equipment replacement districtwide. um that is to build on that work that maintenance is doing right now on um assessing life cycle on some of our larger equipment. So HVAC, chillers, um all of those things that have a very definite life cycle and especially in Florida, right? So um and are as we discussed earlier are aging rapidly. So um so that kind of builds in there's uh it starts with a fairly small amount um and then as we uh build out through the five years

066it gets to be a larger amount. Um radio enhancement project that is an IT project and this is the second and final year of that. um school intercom upgrade that's an ongoing project um also run by IT and then technology upgrades they are in their second year increased funding to complete classroom technology um improvements also known as the display project um and then one thing that I forgot to put in the slide but um wanted to discuss there is an item um in the work plan now for Fruitland Park center you might have asked what that was that is the old Futland Park element elementary school. Um we are looking at using it as offices. Um education foundation specifically also maintenance um feels like they would be more efficient with a um a small satellite

067office in that area be able to respond more quickly. um the m uh it basically the same thing and then um regional offices and then we'll we'll be talking here in the next uh month or two about some possibilities or recommendations for ancillary facilities and so you know there's possibility that maybe we could look at it as kind of a swing swing space for um ancillary facilities but I don't want to go into too much detail there but basically that funding is um some for assessment during this year while Beverly Shores is in there and then um a relatively million dollars um I was about to say a relatively minor amount. I'm not sure in what world a million dollars is relatively minor um except for you know my world now but uh only in

068my work world not in my personal world. Um and so you know that would be if we decide that we want to demolish any of that, if we need to do some um additional maintenance work on it, if we need to do some interior buildout um and that would be for that process. Uh also new are the replacements of portable offices. um they have been assessed and everyone agrees that these are some of substandard um working conditions and so we are working on uh replacement of offices for Eustace ESC bus lot and Leburg bus lots um one is this year 2526 and that is actively underway um the Leburg bus lot is scheduled for next year so we'll be working through those uh others Stove Field. We are still committing to our improvements of um

069Stoverfield. That's the Tar's high school baseball field. High school athletic facility projects, those vary. Um annually, high school turf replacements, the same. Elementary playgrounds. Um Gary and Gary Rogers in the grounds department has a program, a 5-year program. And so that annual amount you'll see kind of varies based on which schools he is going to replace that year and how much needs to be done. And then um covered walkways. We are still working through that. Uh I just want to highlight this a little bit. Um South Lake High School restrooms. Uh the construction academy at South Lake High School, they are um very I won't say ambitious because they get it done right. So, so they uh they are a very um active and organized construction academy. There was an old portable restroom at the

070that served the tennis courts and softball field down there. They came to us with a program to um to do a joint venture basically to rebuild those. Um, and so the district is covering the design fees and a lot of the kind of technical things, surveys, utility locates, um, dumpsters, some of the things that they cannot get necessarily donated, but they're also they're doing some of the labor themselves. They're acting as construction managers. I honestly, we'll see how it goes this year, but I think it could be a great model for um, other kind of joint ventures with the schools. >> Are they going to keep it in the same space where those bathrooms are? Do you know? >> They're very similar. It's a there's a softball press box um that's going to come down

071and then it's going to replace that >> basically. So, generally same area. Um it'll it's you know two restrooms, group restrooms and then a a small concession stand space and some storage. It should be really nice. Um so I'm excited to present that next year and tell you how it went. Mhm. >> Um, and then also our land acquisition priorities. Uh, obviously that Wellness Way High School site. I would love to get that off my to-do list. Um, and then we are always actively looking for sites in that what I like to call North Grlin, South Leburg, West Howie area. Um, that is our next kind of high growth area for the district. So, we just look for opportunities to try and pick land up in that area. Um, and so that is the work

072plan. Are there any other questions on that? >> Yes, ma'am. >> All right. >> Can we go back to the elementary playgrounds for just a second? >> Sure. >> Um, do we have a current? >> Nope. >> Get it back. >> Do we have a current list of what schools have been completed and where they rank in their list of ones to be completed? I do not have that with me, but I think that we could certainly get that and send that out to the board. >> Thank you. >> I know Gary is very organized. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Board, any other questions or comments? >> The one thing that I I'm not able to connect the dots because we hear about that that student enrollment is going down. >> But then we're planning

073on this growth. Are we >> So, you know, there's there's two sides to that, right? Um right now especially in the high school. >> So um right now what we're seeing is fairly stable. I think that as people I think that the high schools will stay in demand, right? And in the south county our high schools are um we could fill a new high school tomorrow. I don't think that that demand is going to go away. And as wellness way builds out, remember there's 19,000 units proposed in there. So that is a lot of students. Even if not every student chooses to come to Lake County schools, we are still going to get a lot of students from that. So um you know, I think that's why the the focus has been on Wellness Way.

074Um otherwise in other areas I think it is that incremental increase. Um it's not an huge demand for us but I think that there there still is um to some extent reportable replacement demand and um and that that kind of incremental replacement. So, a lot of what we're doing is basically replacement of substandard or older facilities that have been determined to be um not conducive to 21st century education because they're 50, 60, 70 years old. Um and as far as adding capacity, it is I think I said it's either portable replacement or incremental um growth. Okay. And then I had a question, Mr. Vanderberg. You mentioned >> that Orange County has land in Lake County. >> They do. >> Um, how did they get land in Lake County? You were called it Orange County. >>

075I had the same question. They acquired most of it back in the the 70s when Claremont was what, 5,000 people and Lake County as a whole was 40,000 people and have just held it ever since. There's um I think 15 or 20 parcels that all connect right there along the Orange Lake County line specifically down Wellness Way and Five Mile Road and that whole area out there in the middle of all this Wellness Way development. Um so the intention would be to try to get 80 acres along one of the fringes um and work out a deal that would make sense for both parties. I'd be cautiously optimistic that a government agency to government agency when it is Lake County land for a public school purpose, >> it's not Lake County land if they own

076it. Well, it Lake County, it's dirt. It's situated in Lake County. Let's put it that way. >> But they paid for it. >> I agree. They didn't pay for it, but they owned it. So, they were gifted it back in the 70s. >> They like just took it over. >> They did. So, I'll give you a little bit of history on that. Basically, it's the land that we known as Conserve 2 >> and essentially it was it's a joint venture of um Orange County and Orlando. And what they did was they sent all their treated storm water or not storm water but their treated waste water out to Lake County. Um and they actually used it a long time for citrus irrigation. >> And did the county did the Lake County connect any collect any

077revenue or anything for that agreement? >> Um I I don't know that kind of history. I mean it's been a really long time that they've they've had it out there. Um and basically it's because that area in um South Lake County Wellness Way is basically a high recharge area for storm water. So they were able to pump it out here, spray it on the ground or actually if you ever look you see they call them ribs and they're uh they look like little sand ribs and basically they're um rapid infiltration basins. And so they can pump it into those basins and it goes to the Florida aquafer a lot faster. So basically this was a high recharge area. They brought all their their waste water out here, treated waste water. They brought it all out

078here to Lake County and they they basically dumped it into the aquafer there. >> You're using past tense. So they no longer do this. >> So um they still do. I mean, there's still ribs and but a lot of uh now that people have gone to reclaim for irrigation, um I don't think they do quite as much. Well, I will say maybe not proportionate to uh to the population, right? But the population has grown a lot in that area. So, they may I don't know exactly the quantities of water that they pump out here, but they do they are one of the biggest land owners in that area. Yeah, >> They physically own the land. Be simple. >> We just need to kick them out. >> So, I have a question. >> Imminent domain. >>

079Uh being a part of >> We could That would be a question for Mr. Cole. >> I'm not sure if we could imminent domain. >> Let's have some conversations and see what happens. >> Why not? >> I I have a question. Um being on zoning and planning, I hear a lot about Wellness Way. Uh I listen to a lot of presentations on people doing different things there. Have we looked into whether or not this land is suitable for a school? And in addition to that, have we um checked with any of the um there's always a group of about 10 or 15 that have very serious documented concerns anytime we discuss doing something there. Have we checked with any of them to make sure there are no objections or there are no hidden studies that

080we don't know about? >> So, we have not done the any due diligence on this plan yet. >> I would caution us. We would >> to do our due diligence u before we move forward because there there are some very active uh well-educated groups that know a lot of history uh about that area. Right. >> Um I would hate for us to get our hopes filled up only to find that there's a whole bunch of reasons why we can't do it. >> Sure. >> It is just I think one more of the avenues that we're looking at in that area. Um I think at this point we >> it is incumbent on us to to explore any possible >> Oh, I agree. And I think it's a wonderful idea if it works, >> but I

081think before we get too far down the road, we need to make sure that what we're thinking is doable. >> You know, because I always thought the money was going to be the reason we weren't building this high school, but now it's just acquiring land because if I've heard you correctly, like the design money would already be available one year earlier than here, but the problem is then people would plan against >> that and and we don't have land. >> At one point, um, Commissioner Parks was working with a developer. Did that fall through it? Uh, >> nothing has come to fruition. >> It should not fall through, but it hasn't been approved. >> Yeah. >> There's a bunch of Yes. There's a bunch of proposed things that happen down there. >> Yeah. So, there's,

082like I said, there's a a bunch of different avenues, but um I think it's incumbent upon us to explore all of them. >> That's right. >> I think it's great that Molly's on there so you can keep us informed. >> They're having a meeting as we speak. >> Oh, good. Good plan. We need to speed this up. So, so on that note, I I do want to uh mention one item just to kind of maybe be on our radar be forward thinking a little bit too because I I think what I heard you tell me at some point was that despite us building the Minnola Horizon, Grassy Lakes enrollment to permanent capacity is still like 90 something%. Is that right? >> Um they are so their permanent capacity is 940 and I think their latest

083enrollment was like 830 something. >> All right. So, if that starts to creep up a bit and we end up needing that wing there after all, I'd love to be able to build that wing before they rely on the five portables that we won't be able to move once they once they, you know, start on this. So, >> yeah, just >> and I actually sent Helen a reminder to let's talk about that and kind of look at where that lull is or that window is. Um, and and also maybe we'll do some preliminary planning and see how much that would cost. Um, I know I'm going to hate it because we could have built it for like 1 point something million. Could have, should have, you know, but could have, should have. Exactly. Um, one

084last thing before I wrap up. Uh, last year you approved a ancillary facilities study. Um, and so that team with JB Pro and, um, with growth planning has been working due diligently. um they have conducted a lot of data analysis within the um confines of the data that we have available. Uh they've conducted site visits and interviews with district staff. They have put out some surveys. They've conducted focus group meetings. Um and so now they are working on their draft recommendations and we expect to have um something back to you in October and then um hopefully be able to get on a a workshop schedule um here soon. Okay. So, I know there might have been a few questions about what was going on with that. I just want to give you a quick update

085on it. Okay. >> Perfect. >> Kelly, I've got one last question actually for Mr. Farnsworth. Um, there's one project that's on here that we've been working on for a long time that we're almost going to get done. Um, if we can give an update on the Mount Door High School football field project and the Mount Door Community Trust money. >> Sorry. >> Um, I think there's finally a light at the end of that tunnel. Hopefully, it's not a train. >> Felt like a train at times. Uh, yes. Uh, near and dear to my heart, our Mount um outdoor football field project. Um, we actually just got some feedback on GMP this morning. So, I've got a already got a meeting set for this afternoon to evaluate that. Um, you know, we face our difficulties there.

086Um, Maldora Community Trust. um you know whenever we do bring a GMP to the board we'll bring them in also they raised a significant amount of money contributing to what was going to be a new press box and concession stand um and when we started looking at that switching sides for those people who do not know the plan was to switch the home side to where the current visitor side is now which is still the plan um but in that uh there was no plan to replace the existing concrete bleachers which um in the process of I guess it probably around last Thanksgiving uh the bottom of those concrete bleachers started giving way and we had water um that was pushing uh soil to the bottom um through the bottom what started off as a

087small mound was became sand covering the whole um length um straight away of the track for the most part. Um so we had some sign that identified we had some other significant issues other than a new concession stand and a press box. Um so we expanded the scope of that project to include um some aluminum bleachers to replace existing concrete bleachers which when we went underneath them and saw there was running water and some different things. Um it's a very wet area. Have you been in that bowl that that stadium exists in? Um whether we're in the middle of a drought or we're in the middle of hurricane season, there is water constantly running under that field when you stand next to the drains there. Um so that um in turn wound up being a

088whole lot of uh you know engineering and architecture work that we had to do and that's what's taken so long to make sure that we're going to do it right. Um, and essentially what's going to have to happen is some some really uh intricate drainage to reroute the water in that area and carry it to a different location um where the the new seating would be um in uh would would sit inside of a retaining wall um that also helps uh hold up that hill and all these good things. So in order to not have a new press box and concession stand that's sinking into the ground due to you know uh water issues. So it's been quite an issue and you know the longer things take to design the the more the price goes

089up. I will tell you if you haven't been there and it's you talk about you know the issues we deal with making sure they have what everybody else has by far um that that football field and where they also play soccer and do some other things is way different than what any other high school in Lake County has. So it's been a challenging project but I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. So um hopefully we'll be coming back to you soon. and we're going to give some feedback on that those initial drafts we got today on GMP, but at least all the engineering and design work is done at this point. >> And the trust was what 1.2 1.3 million something in that range.3. >> Yeah, it's awesome. So kudos

090to Rob English and his team for their partnership on this one. >> Are they still holding the cash or have they transferred? >> Um they have not transferred to us yet. The plan is that whenever um whenever we bring forth that project that they will we will formally recognize them at a board meeting for their contributions to the project. Um but I've stayed in constant communication with the trust and and I give him updates frequently and I I wish there was a lot more varying information when I give him updates but now we're heading into some good stuff. So >> um looking forward to getting there. So um >> thank you. And chairman, if I may, speaking about the issues with the football field of Mount Dora, maybe think about I was excited to see

091the update to Eustace High School that had the practice plan on the back side of the football field, but and the I saw the additional cost increase as a result of that. That's what they're expecting that's going to cost to >> to to flatten out or infill the back of that property behind this current softball field and the football field in that corner to Are you not Some of these issues sound kind of similar to what we might see there. So $9 million was the scope of work that was provided by the construction manager to do that work >> and that included the fieldhouse though. So >> Okay. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. >> But that they think that's going to be okay. I just see these issues that we're talking about right now

092in that spot 10 years from now where another board is going to have to deal with >> that wash out or that problem just because the slope of that land problem that we spoke about. Do you know what I'm talking about? I I So you're saying So you're saying we could have similar issues where the money >> where the new practice field will be for >> Eustace. I I think you've got I think we've got much >> more significant groundwater issues um in in the Mount Door area. >> I do too. I'm not I don't even think it's the groundwater necessarily, but I remember when they tried to do it several years ago, they said, "No, we're not touching this with a 10 foot pole." That was before I was on the board. So then

093when it was presented as a part of the project for Eustace High School, there were some concerns with the cost and would it be manageable and doable and so I was pleased to see it on here. I just wanted to say everybody's comfortable with that design and it's going to come like it's going to be okay. >> So we're still working through the design. We actually have the civil engineer happens to be here. Um but yes, I I don't think that the storm water um issues or the the running water issues are nearly as as bad as what they're seeing at Mount Dora. And so I think it is manageable. >> I think that we should do a um guess as a board to how many softballs they're going to find in those woods. Whoever's

094closest can like win something. >> How often has Emmy Luke practiced there? >> No. Emmy was never there. They've not been on the field. >> 40 if it was but they were on that field for how many years? And anytime a a foul ball say those would be foul balls. So our kids in the other direction that anyway they're back there. And so we were laughing when Jensen and I were talking about the table the other night. It's like, mom, how many softballs are they going to find out there? I'm like, I don't know. So, I'm interested in that number. >> Thank you. I was excited to see it. I just know we we un anticipate some of those issues than it was a concern before. >> Go for turtles. >> Go for I hope

095not those those are cost a lot more money than softball. >> I think it's a good point, Dr. Luke. I also think that between all the work that we put into this Mount Dora project and the rest of them that we won't I don't want to say we'll make the same mistake twice because I don't think we made a mistake, but we won't have the same issue twice. So, I think we're in good shape there, but it's a good concern to bring up. >> Any other questions or comments for Kelly or Chad before we move on? All right, Kelly, thank you very much. I know this is a massive undertaking um and appreciate your efforts and the detail you always provide in this. So, thank you. [Music] I think she's sitting down and the others

096are coming up for this one. Correct. Or >> standing over intro. >> You ready to move forward? Okay. Absolutely. Take it away. >> So the next item is uh Eustace Elementary School. We are joined by our design team from Shankl Schultz and Clema Weeks Architecture and then also the selected construction manager um DACG. they brought quite a team and also a lot of members of the community who just sat through um my presentation. So, thank you for that. Um and you know last year uh we had come to you and said you know what we're ready to do the scope for Eustace Elementary School but we're not sure exactly what that's going to look like and so we asked you for this time to do some master planning. the team have been working really hard

097on developing some options. Um I think they are excited to present those options to you today. Um and then just get your feedback and kind of your ideas on what the next steps are um for this this project. Um you know it's been a a long time. used this elementary is 100 years old and so I think you know it's time to do to do something. All right so I'm going to turn it over to Shenko Schultz. Uh good morning. I'm Patrick Grow with Shinkle Schultz. I have Charlie Sims with me as well. Um so like Kelly said we're going to give an overview as to what we've been working on for the master plan process for the project. Um from a design standpoint, we'll kind of go over where we've been. We also have

098uh Shane and Jamie from DACG who are going to come up and talk about the construction side of that as well because we're working as a as a partnership to kind of get feedback on constructibility costs, all those kind of things, too. So, we're kind of going to go through and um and kind of tell you what we've been working on and uh and get some feedback from from the school board. Uh so, the first thing on here is really more of an overview as far as milestones, timelines, things we have been working on. Um we had a kickoff session back in January. Uh we did a lot of visioning, got a lot of feedback about, you know, project goals, objectives, timelines. Um we actually had an open house which kind of a meet and

099greet. We invited the community, the school to come to to Eustace Elementary School, meet in the cafeteria. We did small tours of the campus. We kind of talked to local community. Um it was nice to kind of get firsthand experience about what people like about the school, what their feelings are about the future for the school. Um and so that was a great opportunity back in January. Um going in through February and March, one of the big tasks we had in that period was doing assessments of the the building. So there were more engineering and technical assessments. Um we did a a kind of comb through the whole entire campus, all the existing buildings, uh taking a look at things like mechanical systems, plumbing systems, uh code issues, building on both reports. Um, so we

100did a pretty substantial kind of analysis of of every building on that campus to really kind of understand what the parameters were, what the challenges were with the campus and the existing buildings that we're going to have to work with. Um, going into February and March, we had a series of of design meetings. We're meeting with the an advisory team to kind of present our findings, get direct feedback with them. Um, part of that advisory committee was also looking at doing um surveys. So we were submitting questionnaires out to really two different groups. There was questionnaires out to the school staff themselves, teachers, principles, and also and a questionnaire that went out to local community neighbors as well just to get a sense of what they what their priorities are and what their sense of

101of where the project was was going as well. Um so through March and April and the spring, we had a series of design meetings and kind of updated them on different options. uh again to get feedback uh look at the the findings of the assessments, the findings of the questionnaire and really combining all this data together is kind of what the effort was back in the springtime. And then as we went into the summertime, we refined those master plan options and that's a lot of what you're going to see here today for for an overview um regarding the assessment. So this is the existing school site as it is right now. Obviously the building on the top on the north is the historical building one which is uh nearly 100 years old. Uh and then

102you've kind of got the rest of the buildings moving to the south. Um building two is the cafeteria kitchen. Um which is you know as far as today's standards quite a small cafeteria kitchen for the number of students in that school. Um then you have the classroom buildings. And then building seven located here is one that is actually the newest building on campus that houses uh classroom spaces. Uh as you know you've got Salem Street that kind of kind of drives between the two properties. And then on the left hand side here is the area that's used mostly for overflow parking. Um so you kind of have a a a connection between disconnection between the two the two properties regarding the assessments that we looked at. Um kind of this is a very very high

103level we have a report that's you know 200 pages long if you want to read it. Um but at a high level we found that building one um obviously had historical significance on the property there. Um, from a technical standpoint, if it were to remain, there were a lot of um, engineering upgrades that would have to happen. Um, ma mainly from a a building code standpoint, accessibility, structural upgrades. Um, there was a lot of things that would have to be brought up to code on building one. Obviously, um, from a structural standpoint, it seemed like our analysis was that it was actually structurally sound. There wasn't anything like falling down, you know, from a structural standpoint. Um, but there was some things that would have to be addressed if it was renovated. Uh building 7

104again is most likely going to have to remain and that's mainly because of the age of the structure. Tallahassee and DOE won't let you tear down a building based off a certain age. So building 7 is going to remain. Building one um had some significance and some challenges along the way. And then overall the rest of the buildings um you know there was a lot of a lot of concerns we had on the rest of the buildings. Um safety and security was one of the big issues. If you look at how the campus is kind of organized and laid out now um there's not really a a single secure point of entry. there's a lot of kind of pockets and the way it's organized is not the safest condition. Um there are a lot of

105issues as far as ADA accessibility throughout the campus. Um you have a lot of unsafe conditions where you know pe either people or students are kind of walking through sidewalks and roads because of the way that it's organized. So a lot of concerns there. Um and then also there's a lot of outdated equipment regarding mechanical systems. I talked about how the kitchen is really kind of undersized. So there's a v number of things that I think need to be you know addressed on the campus. Um and the rest of those buildings really we looked at replacing those buildings because of a number of factors. Um I mentioned we did a series of two different kind of surveys to get feedback from from different groups. Um so we actually had submitted a a survey or questionnaire

106to the community. We got 223 responses back which I think is is is pretty amazing. Um we asked them questions about you know what were they most concerned with regarding the campus. um the building, the future of the project. Um there was a lot of feedback that said historical kind of character of that building, that campus was important to them. Um a lot of the feedback we got from the survey and specifically in the open house was that when we asked them about that historical character and building it was more the front of the building, the north side of building one is really what everyone kind of identified with that porch element. You know, they really like the idea of that being present on that campus there. Um there was obviously concern about you know

107pedestrian access because the road does kind of um kind of drive between the two properties. Um and then there were concern with vehicular access. Um and as far as the location of the school, they mentioned that you know it's very important at least for the community to have that school located in that in that area. Uh we also did a series of questionnaers for the teachers and the staff at Usus Elementary School. Uh which I thought was very interesting. And a lot of what we and this kind of told us is that um you know there is a very wide variety of teaching styles currently happening at the school which is a fantastic thing. Um very passionate group of of of teachers and educators. Um and they're encouraging a lot of collaboration in the classroom.

108Um there are a lot of special uh ESC programs that I think are happening. Um but really the takeaway for me was that even though there's these amazing things that are happening in the school right now, the physical environment that they're in is really not up to the standards that you would see for a brand new school. So, they're really doing a lot with what they are able to kind of work with um in the classroom and on that campus right now. Uh and then we also had kind of an open-ended questionnaire about like what they feel is important um to the school. What does the school mean to you? Um and a lot of this was very telling because obviously it's a community focused school. People are very invested in the property. Um they

109have they really love the area. They see as an anchor for the community. there's a lot of roots here and so it was really great to get a lot of feedback that there was a lot of passionate um you know um feedback within the school here here at Eustace. So we're going to shift gears a little bit um and talk about kind of the master plan process and where we ended up. So I'm going to hand it over to Charlie. Thank you. >> Hello. All right. So looking at the existing site, we definitely did our due diligence and we looked at many many different options and with the help of the advisory committee, we did narrow it down to one option that we do think will work best. Along with that, we did look at

110some alternate sites. So we looked at Kurtright as well as a site next to Eustace um middle school. So these three options you can see now in relation to each other where they are on the site. However, after investigation, we have decided to remove Kurt Wright as one of the options. So, we will only be presenting you two options today. So, this is just a refresher just to show you again what the current state of Eustace Elementary School is. So, option one on the existing site we're calling south because we want to preserve that historical face on the north and actually move the front door to the south. Another big move with this option is absorbing part of Salem Street to connect both sides of the campus as well as leasing property from the church

111for additional parking. So again, moving the front door to the south, you would enter off of Lemon. You would conga line around and exit off of Mary Street. Um the bus loop would remain in the current location. So moving into the campus, you have a one-story building that houses the admin, media, art, and music. Building seven will remain a classroom building. Building one again, preserving that north public face and then renovating the rest of the building with two brand new classroom wings, one being a single story and the other being a double. And then nestled between building one and building seven would be another two-story classroom building. And then within the courtyard, we have an outdoor stage as well as a tot lot and a youth lot. And then moving over to the west side

112of the campus, we have a multi-purpose and dining with outdoor seating, covered play, and play fields. And this programming along the drop off and pickup will be really useful for before and after school. >> Um, one thing I want to add too on this concept is that's important to think about is and this is something we worked a lot with with with the contractor on and and Kelly as well. If we were to go with an option like this that's on the existing site. There are really kind of three approaches we can have to how they're actually going to phase the construction for this. And this is part of what what Jamie and Shane will talk about in a minute too. But one of the approaches you can do is to essentially do a a

113a port temporary portable campus where you build out, you know, at least 30 portables on site, have all the kids kind of swing onto that area and do the work that way. Another option is doing a phase approach where you kind of have some a few portables, but for the most part, you're kind of building as you go and having kids swing into the space as it's being completed. And then the third option would be having the kids go to a swing space and go completely offsite, have the work done on the site as far as construction and then they all kind of come back when it's done. So it's an important to say that even though this is a kind of concept that we sort of focused on within this, there are three kind

114of approaches from a construction and uh and phasing standpoint that we got to think about too. >> All right. And then we looked into the classroom distribution just to kind of see where the grade levels could be positioned within the buildings. Um but the main point of this is to show that with this concept we did come out with a 740 student station count. >> So um part of what we did also during the programming phase was to look at and make sure we had all the the parts and pieces of classrooms accounted for. So this is an example of a diagram that we did to make sure that we had all the kind of classrooms accounted for and to show how we could start to stack on the site. So in this case, you

115can see we're looking at doing a portion of being a two-story wing to take advantage of the site because it's a very very compact um five to six acre site. >> And speaking of the small site, this is just looking the square footages of the building footprint and it is actually very comparable to Futland Park. Even with the site being so small. So the second option is the alternate site which is next to Eustace Middle School. This would be using Futland Park as a prototype. So you would enter off of base. This one has a substantial conga line and then would exit back out on to Bates as well. So then you have your twotory school, your tot lot, youth lot, covered lot, hard courts, and playfields. And this option would also be sharing the

116bus loop with the middle school. >> Yeah, like Charlie mentioned, this one has I think about 230 stacking on the for the cars. the previous one if they stay on site because that site is closer to 90. So there was a substantial amount more of car stacking on this site and that's uh primarily a reason because we just more more land obviously on this option. >> So the next part we're going to hand off to to Jamie and his crew to kind of talk about the construction side of it. >> Patrick Charlie real quick question actually Mr. board. Um, that building number seven they're talking about, isn't there a workaround where it could be removed? >> Um, if it's being held because of the cops issue, we can work around that. But I I think

117they were saying it was if it's a certain age, if it's it was recently built not too long ago, they won't allow you to tear it down. >> How recently built? >> Do you remember the age of it? No, it was somewhere in the mid 2000s. >> Yeah, mid 2000s. 2005, give or take a couple years. >> That's about 20 years. >> So, it's actually in pretty good shape then. >> Yeah. >> So, it worked into your whole >> Can I ask a question as well? Um, how much site is on the use? How much land is on the Eustus Middle School site? >> Acres Middle. >> Yes. 15. >> Is it 15? >> Yes. 15 for the elementary portion. >> Yes. >> But the you said that the eleus elementary school current site is

11870% smaller than the Futland Park site. So is the middle school site comparable as far as the acreage to the Fland Park site? There's no comparison there. >> Finland Park is I believe 18 >> 19 acres. 19 acres. So >> thank you. >> Any other question? >> Good. >> Thank you. >> Perfect. Jame, take it over. >> How big is the renovation? >> Well, good morning. property. >> Little under five. >> Go ahead, Jamie. >> Oh, no problem. Just a whole different uh uh aura in here when I'm when I'm not stressing about presenting on this one. So, congratulations. I wanted to tell everybody on your your A ranking. By the way, we're extremely blessed and grateful to have it play a small part in that. So during construction uh the construction analysis with within

119option one you have three options as to not make this more confusing like Patrick alluded to a little bit constructing a portable campus uh roughly 40 portables plus or minus a few would be needed to fill all the spaces for the the programs and student spaces if we utilize this option uh during construction. We'd basically build an entire new school off to the side for the students, faculty, and staff to utilize during, you know, during construction. And this is something we could set up. And I'm going to give you pros and cons from our viewpoint on each one of these options. Second is the phase construction approach where we just construct a building, move out of one, move students back in. Lot longer of a process, but I'll explain to you the cost in each

120one of these as as well as we move forward. Um, we'd still need some phasing portables, roughly six to eight on site, but it's a lot easier to house them than it is 40 of them all across the uh an already tight site. And then the swing space to relocate all the students to an off off-campus site, which we've already walked with your building code official, and that is the use this um uh Kurtright campus. Some small accommodations need to be made there because it's currently set up as a high school space. you know, things like access in locker rooms that elementary school students don't need to be at. Uh exterior door exits um to to be able to make that fit the code. And we've already did some budgetary pricing to to make those

121accommodations. So, the pros to the portable campus, students and staff will remain on site. That's the regular routine. And we know for elementary school students, you want them to you you want a routine to where they're being dropped off to the same spot daily. It's an easier transition post construction. They haven't had to leave, haven't had to come back post construction. They're used to coming in. They're going to see this transform over uh over an extended period of time. Uh the portable installation can be completed over a summer break where we anticipate to install the portables and do some of the the parking lots and things like that. So when school starts, Miss Boardway and her staff can come right in, have proper notice, have maps, you know, notify the public of how the the

122the site will be utilized during one phase until we complete certain areas. Now, the phase construction, which uh we're basically playing a large game of chess on site, whatever the most critical needs are first are the ones that we're going to want to tackle initially right off the bat. As we plan this phase construction, it gets very intricate with our team on site because we have to have power, water, sewer. Uh we have to have this infrastructure in ground before we start to go vertical as we call it in in the building construction. You want to have the power there first. You want to have the chilled water to plug into. You got to make sure you're building enough space so we don't have a maintenance hassle for Chad and his team as we turn

123on chillers that we're not short cycling chillers that we have enough building capacity to to sustain operating those. Um the construction can be like I said uh prioritized to critical needs first, but this is an extended much longer period of construction which I'll give you in the cons the downfalls to that. The swing space of this option is the most viable option for us as a team and I feel for you as the district. Number one, it's a it's an extremely cheaper option. But what it does is we took within our plan to think of the students first. You know, to think about how that's going to affect them by switching locations, transportation, things like that. But, uh, this will allow our team to work the most efficiently on this existing campus. We're able to

124have no students on staff. they're bus to a different facility, dropped off and picked up. If we find something that's in the way, um it's going to save cost than having to redesign and work around it. It's going to this is our most effective plan. And what this does as a as a pro, it shortens your construction schedule by about 12 months to the other to the other shortest option. Now the cons to each one of these the portable campus we have very limited space for the duration of this this process of about you know 24 to 36 months there's going to be limited space and miss boardway students are going to be locked up indoors with very little place to go outside and play because we're going to be utilizing every square inch of

125this space to either store materials uh do construction operations. We're completely surrounded 360 degrees by residential uh houses and neighborhoods and we need to be cognizant of that during our plan. The phase one, we would build a portable a portable campus on site um and and basically build your multi-purpose and dining room area first. As we build the portable city, we'll start on the multi-purpose and the parking lot because it's as you probably know, Mr. Mias uh to take out a a dining room at at an elementary school to bring in portable spaces. Number one, extremely expensive. Number two, they're extremely scarce to get your hands on something like that. And then there's the potential of having to the added staff if you're not preparing this food on site for extended day students in the

126morning. You have to bust it from a nearby school that has the capacity to do so. We're we have extensive experience in this. We're doing it right now at a at a 100-year-old campus, Lake Mary Elementary School with 40 portables. Yes, sir. >> Not to stop you. This is a terrible idea. >> I know. So, rather than continue, maybe we move to one. >> Yes, sir. I I'll move I'll move a little bit I'll move a little bit further. I was I was dreading one of those comments that come from your from you alone. >> All right. So, that's the that's the cons. Our Our other site is the alternative site. We'll be building a prototype elementary school that this very team to construct it has just built within the last 12 months. Although it's

127a little bit smaller of a site, I feel Patrick and his team at Shinkle Schultz said that there will be less of about five classrooms, correct? Correct. >> Plus or minus five classrooms less that will fit in this prototype model. It's brand new. It's designed engineered for 21st century learning environments. I know that there's, you know, there's pros and cons to each side with staying historical value, but as far as this goes, you know, construction can proceed while the school the the students aren't affected at all from our standpoint. This short, this is a much shorter duration because from the time design's done, we can have construction on this campus done in about 18 months. >> I want to make sure what I was saying was the whole idea of the portable city was a

128bad idea. >> I'm sorry. I'm not saying jump to >> but now we know why they prefer. >> I'm sorry. >> Well, it to to to jump back and I apologize. I was like, "All right, we'll just move on." >> No, I only been that whole thing. Terrible. >> So, the the phase construction is that's going to be anywhere from 36 to 48 months to to do phase construction. And the reason being is we can't take over an entire campus because we got to have places to put students, faculty, and staff. There's many variables that that affect this. Like the portables would be four and a half to $5 million just for the first portable option. That's money that doesn't go into the program. It's it serves a temporary purpose just to get us through

129construction where we view that money could be put into the buildings. You could stretch it a lot further and let the students have access to that instead of just, you know, serving that temporary purpose. the phase construction. Um, it's added GC's on our end because it takes a lot longer to construct it uh on campus. We would obviously want to move around, move construct buildings, move people in and out of those buildings, turn them over, start the next phase. The cons of this is also having, you know, different buildings and warranties. We start a chiller up in year one. Warranty starts on that chiller year one. We tie the first building on to it. As we go down the line, at the very end, let's just say it's four years down the road and a

130and a problem arises, part of the warranties the that the chiller suppliers were put in are already utilized and used up, but yet you have brand new air handlers. That's logistical things that maintenance and us and the design team have to work through, but it's extremely challenging >> with building controls, with air conditioning, keeping things active, unactive, two fire alarm systems on campus, keeping them up and going simultaneously on one site. >> Yeah. >> So, there's there's a couple things there of this option. The swing space makes completely the most sense. We move the students, faculty, and staff over to Kurt Wright campus. We take uh roughly about 24 months to come through here, tear down what we're going to tear down, find the infrastructure that we need to tie into, and build all the

131buildings simultaneously. >> It's the most efficient, most effective utili utilization of of this space with minimal investment of setting Kurt Wright up compared to the other two. >> I have a question. >> Yes, ma'am. So with that plan, Kurt Wright would essentially be turned into an elementary facility >> temporarily. Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. When you say temporarily, what would be involved with reverting it into something else? >> So when we walked it with a building code official, we would need to add about eight portables to the to the site in the very back of the by the practice fields, which the infrastructure is already there. There were portables there years ago. So, the infrastructure, the power uh main switch gears already there with stubouts, very efficient to hook up. Um some of the restroom spaces,

132we would put temporary walls up to just block off. They don't elementary school students don't need showers when they pass through a locker room. So, we looked at those options. separating a few classrooms and adding a couple doors actually adds value and utilization and brings the school further up to code. When this temporary usage is over, the campus has somewhat been improved. The locker rooms, we can take temporary walls down because we were going to build them, you know, not for permanent, just to utilize. We'd have to get a door for maintenance and go change light bulbs and things, but that's a easier approach. >> Okay. >> And that was pretty much the accommodations that needed to be made. >> Okay. Thanks. And the cafeteria, I assume, is just a matter of furniture. >> Um,

133I believe so. When we walked through, there was some things that we looked at for like queuing lines and things like that. Um, that was >> primarily going from big people to little people's seats. >> Yes, ma'am. We talk about toilet heights and urinal heights and and we got a very your building code official is is extremely detailed and extremely knowledgeable >> and he's great to work with and he walked through we were asking the questions that we see on drawings with intermediateiz toilets and he was like not required not require like answering our questions which made it very easy to put a budget price to rather quickly. Now, the one I jumped to a little earlier, and I I apologize. Um, 15 acre site. It's about four acres shy of what Futland Park is.

134Um, construction can proceed. It's a prototype, so Shinkle Schultz already has, you know, some background information on it. We've built it once already. We know the things that we needed to pay close attention to to fix. Uh, it's a functional campus. um shortens the duration to to 18 months. That's less of a cost to you as a district. Now, when I show you the numbers a little bit, I'll explain them because we got to take a virgin site actually clear woods and and and dig ponds and things like that that we wouldn't have to do to the extent on the other sites. So, there is some some cost associated with that. Safer during construction, we're able to do what we need to do off to the side, completely separate on the other side of construction

135fences. Um, and that's, you know, the the other options where they get drug out and I didn't get to mention this. There's the threat like when COVID came and tariffs came. You extend something that long, there's the variables that we can only predict for. We're not perfect. Our industry changes from year to year. So, when we stretch something out that long, that's a that's something to consider. Now, the cons on this alternative site like transportation adjustments may need to be ma made. the risk of unforeseen on off-site. We never know until we do soil boring tests. We didn't want to invest in that until we got input back from the board to know, you know, those are questions that are going to arise. This could be our number one plan, but we don't know what

136we don't know until we start to make the investment over there. So, we just wanted to give you the information to make an educated decision. Now, next page. We went through very detailed estimates. I said that some of these numbers were updated as of this past Friday where we received bids on a 100-year-old campus, similar size building, uh, occupied site with with saving portions of it with they took the portable the portable option and we can dig into these a little bit further, but we've we know the cost per square foot. We know 99% of the lines and dots that Shingle Schultz and Clement Weeks draws on their drawings, what they mean, what your schools need. We've built them before to to make the assumptions that may not be clear on the on on the

137schematic design documents to to at least give some close numbers to get us pretty close. So on the last page here, I gave you the options. We gave you the cost associated and the cost per square foot with each each option. The portable campus take us about 36 months from start to finish. The first 12 months of this is going to be a small amount of portables and constructing your your temporary parking and getting basically set up setting the stage for the remainder. We're going to order all the the HVAC equipment, the power equipment, whatever all the other buildings need to tie into. Now, this is your most expensive option because 4 and a half to $5 million of this is in the portables. Okay. The face construction option two is your longest duration >>

138because we have to hopscotch and and >> we're going to swing. >> Okay. >> Swing in the alter. That's >> on your swing. That's of that of that first south option. This is your most feasible. It's uh most effective for utilizing exist your existing campus location. Um and if we go to the the alternative site 18 months. Now granted you see the cost tag is a little bit more of a premium but it's all brand new. about $3.5 million in that $46 million is just getting the site prepped to even come in, put putting the paving in, putting the bus loops, the underground infrastructure, bringing power. It that doesn't even include the power, but that that cost is is captured. This is about a when we ran the numbers on the numbers we had about

139a 15% Bobby, correct me if I'm wrong. Yes, sir. >> Addition. There he is. He he did a study on this. We each took apart. It's about a 15% cost increase from go back about two and a half to three years when we started this process at Futland Park. That's how our our our trends have have escalated. >> A lot of talk in there, but go ahead, Shane. No, I mean we made a lot of assumptions but um we went off historical data and but you know we feel comfortable with these numbers but things can change you know over this time period. So >> good work. >> Anybody any any question >> I think Jamie before we dive into questions I think we're going to open up to the public um and then if we

140can wrap back around at the end and take board comments at that point. >> Mr. Chair, before you do that may I ask him one quick question? >> You may. Yes, ma'am. Uh with the swing with the alternate site, you said that the school would share the bus loop with the middle school. Did I understand that correctly? >> There would have to be some accommodations made where they pardon me where they get off the and I'll let Patrick take this like covers where they get off the buses to be able to enter the school, but go ahead Patrick. >> Yeah, I mean part of the thought was that um pull it up here. >> U because number one the way the property is configured um it's it's a little bit wider in the front here.

141So, one way of being kind of efficient with the space while utilizing that as a shared amenity. Um, the idea is that I think that the the drop off period is different between the elementary school and middle school kids for the buses. So, it seemed to make sense and it's more of an economical approach from that standpoint there. >> What about the car rider area? I mean, >> completely separate. Completely separate. Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. So, there's about five or six hundred feet of a gap between where the buses occur and the the actual access point for for the elementary school property. So, it's entirely separate from Okay. >> the Yes, ma'am. Thank you. >> All right, we're going to enter public comment at this point. I did get one card. We

142certainly don't need cards, but I'm going to do this card first and if everybody else can stack up in a single file line that would like to speak. Uh the card I received is Mr. Fred Rodans. Um so Fred, you're up. If you want to say >> anyone who would like to go up in front of me, that's the card. >> Come on. Seriously. >> Okay. Hi, my name is Fred Rodanss and I'm a resident of Lake County, not of Eustace, but I can see Eustace from about right here and I can see well actually it's back over here. I'm sorry. And Eustace is right here and Eustace is here and Eustace is here. I'm surrounded um myself and a couple of other folks that live on Blue Lake are surrounded by the city of

143Eustace, but we're not in the city of Eustace. I love Eustace. I don't care to be in it in the city of Eustace, honestly, for uh economic reasons and and other things. So, I'm perfectly happy. We built our home there um 30 years ago, 31 years ago. And uh over the years, a couple of you guys have actually been there for different things. And and um we it we when when we heard that there was a middle school being built, we um said, "Gosh, isn't that kind of infringing upon everyone's privacy and infringing upon this the lifestyle that we have out there?" We spent a lot of money as the other folks did around Blue Lake uh for um the type of property that you would want to do. And having a school across, let

144me be more specific. Having that many cars in there and out of there every day is a pain. You guys can finish it. You know where it's a pain. Um and it and it and it truly is. And we've done all we can. Um your chairman has been out there. He has actually talked with the city of Eustace. They have made incredible changes so far in this school year. Um last year and before that happened this year, we actually had I guess it was a open house to begin school. I don't I'm not sure what the function was, but we had some um 40 to 45 vehicles parked down Lone Pine Lane, which leads to Bates. That's a problem if you're trying to get home or if you're trying to get out of your home.

145Um, what is a bigger problem is the attitude of the people that park there. I've been cussed. I've been called. You name it, I've been called that just for asking them to move their car. We're going to be out of here in 5 hours. Okay. So, the situation that has occurred, that's one situation that's occurred. The other situation is more I think it's is it's is is a larger situation and that's the width of Bates Avenue and the and the width of what's the other road? Estes Estie's road coming down to empty onto Bates Avenue with twice as many cars as you have now. I think it's going to be very dangerous y'all. I see that in the morning. I I'm retired. I see it in the morning and I see it in the afternoon

146and it's dangerous. It really is. We've had vehicles. We've had accidents out there. No kids have been hurt. But there is an a huge number of parents who just um I don't know, maybe I would do the same thing if I still had kids in school. I don't know. But the problem is that you're either supposed to be bust or you're supposed to be picked up in the pickup loop. We've got a good number of parents there that are right in between that and they just want to park down our driveway and down our road and on uh the sides of the road. If you guys have been out there, if you haven't, please come out and look at it at 4:00 in the afternoon. It's unbelievable. And so, it's a a situation that we

147have um I'm not going to say put up with because that that sounds holier than now. And I certainly don't mean to be that. We have that situation of uh overcrowded situation on those two roads. And we're talking about bringing other schools into right next door to the other one. We didn't know until about two months ago that that property had actually been sold to the school board 30 years ago. Um that was kind of a slap in the face quite honestly. >> Mr. Roan, I need you to wrap it up. >> I'm sorry. >> Yeah. I need you to wrap it up with just three minutes. Just trying to keep it just I just want you to understand that there are downsides to building a new school. They're pretty I used to be an

148I used to be a owner of an architecture firm as well. It is a great situation when you have that opportunity to do that and to build something brand new from scratch. You take a wooded area and you build that right there. Looks beautiful. it does impose problems for the existing residents. Okay, that's all I wanted to say. Thank you. I'm open for questions. >> Thank you, sir. >> Would anybody else care to speak? Uh, please come up to the podium and give your name and address for the record. Um, and again, it's three minutes. Thank you very much. >> Well, good morning. How are we guys? All right. >> Well, good. Me, too. Hey, I got a quick question. Could you all go back one? I'd appreciate it. real much. >> Yeah. Yeah. Perfect.

149So, my name is Dylan Shelton. I live at 804 East Limit Avenue. So, that gentleman was saying he could kind of see the school. >> I live right here. >> I got so many kids that walk by my house every day. Good morning, Mr. Shelton. How are you? I got maybe 15 or 20 that come by. I love them. They're like my kids. I just found out one of them, he just went on to middle school. I couldn't figure out where he'd went this year. That school is filled with love. It's filled with remembrance. It's filled with kindness. And I was really glad when I got to see the whole team back again. I remember you guys from the open house. They did a great job with this. This is a fantastic plan. And with

150building a new school, there absolutely come challenges, issues, all these things that can arise. But also refurbishing a school, right? But keeping something alive that is so important to our community. As you saw in the surveys that came out, 223 I think it was they said they had a response to so many of us want to keep it. It's also if we follow with the swing plan that comes out to be a cheaper method and it keeps us having the uh the historical aspect of the school and it also builds up the school so we can still have that excuse me we can still have that feeling of that small town community but also have that historical feel. One of the things I would like to say that I think would be really really cool

151if you guys could is incorporate some of the old like old picture frames or old pictures of the school when you build the new school, whether it be here or there, whatever you guys decide, please God, let it be this plan. But let that be known that just add that in. Let the kids that go there see the 100 years of history of people that went there, of the people that lived there. My house has stood since 1914. It was there before the school. I love my house. That school stood for a hundred years. I think you guys said earlier you had a a building that was coming up for a school that was approaching midlife that was built in 2000. >> That's 100 years. Things were built to last. Put the money into it.

152Put it where it belongs. Put it where the community wants it. >> We really, really would appreciate it. Come by. My porch is always open. Have a sweet tea. Enjoy it. I appreciate you and your time. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Shelton. Thank you. >> Hey, my name is Suanne Roardans. That was my husband. And yes, we live on Lone Pine Lane, which is um right off of Bates Avenue. Built our house 31 years ago before the school was before the middle school was there. Um we found out the middle school was going in. We weren't thrilled about that. um talking about policies that are not upheld. There's a million signs up and down Bates Avenue that says no stopping, no dropping off, no no stop, no parking. Um we have two

153at our driveway and yet that policy is not upheld. Uh I think thank you. Um the police were there, have been at our driveway in that site and it is so much better and we are so grateful for that. Uh, I don't understand how in that little space from 44 to Estes, we're going to have two schools. That is a lot in that one little stretch of street. Um, which Freddy said, uh, my husband, um, it's narrow. It's super narrow. And I don't know the cost. And if the cost is including all the road work that would have to be done and who pays that, who's going to pay for esties and the turn lanes and the, you know, getting in and out of the schools and the time frame of drop off and pickup

154for those of us that live there, it's going to be instead of one time frame in the morning and one time frame in the afternoon, it's going to be two in the morning and two in the afternoon, which is try that that's hard. Um, that's hard. And also, I went to Eustace Elementary. Thank you so much. I was there uh in Well, I'll tell you my this tells you my age in the late 50s and early 60s. I love that school. It is it is filled with love and it is special. It's just really special. Um, and I think if we can operate on that on the plan, even updating Kurtright, I think that's an awesome idea. get that updated and then get the school and and I know the time frame s sounds a

155lot right now but I think it it would help us to not be shortsighted and say oh 36 months that's terrible 10 years down the road that's not going to matter and also 10 years down the road if Eustace Middle School needs to expand and Eustace Elementary School needed to expand and they are bumped up right next to each other. How are either one of them going to expand? I I just have a I have some questions like that. But thank you. I appreciate you listening. I love Eustus Elementary School. Went there and um and just have some concerns. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Ordance. Anyone else? >> Hi, I'm Joan Scho and I live at 114 South Salem. So, on the property on the corner. >> We don't have a problem with

156the school staying there. We don't have a problem with the kids. We don't have a problem even the traffic is a pain in the neck. We even get a lot of people throughout the year deciding our park our drive our sideyard is a parking lot. We've gotten the names called to us and everything. But we love the kids. My husband is known as the old man that sits on the bench and watches the kids in the morning. The kids speak to them. They see them. Even kids that have gone on to middle school when they come walking by speak to them. And I think that moving that school out of what's a neighborhood school out of a neighborhood into another neighborhood, you're ruining that whole peaceful feeling that that neighborhood has had for its school.

157It's a part of the community right there. And all of a sudden now you're saying, "Let's shift to the other end of town." And I think that you're asking those kids to make a big shift in the way they're going to feel about their neighborhood. A lot of those kids can walk to school. Even though some of them are riders, they could walk if they had to, but if you put it out on baits, they're all going to be busing. So, I think you're looking for a safety issue for the kids that are going to have to walk from the baits down through there, too. So, I agree. The kids love that school. I think moving it would be the wrong thing to do. I really do. Thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am. Uh, Willie

158Hawkins. Uh, I hate being on this side and I hate that three minute buzzer, so I'm going to talk fast and I love you. You know, I um I'm one of 25,000 uh residents in Eustace. Uh my son went to Eustace Elementary and I loved it. Uh, I cried my first tear at uh, kindergarten when I left him there. So, I get it. I get it. >> Um, Eustus Elementary is not the building. Eustace Elementary are the teachers, the cafeteria workers, the janitors. That's what it's all about. I appreciate, you know, it's a special school, but let's not forget it's the people in the school that make it special. I think that's important. Parking, you know, we've had uh people talk about parking. Every school in the city, every school in the state, you're going

159to have the same thing. You're going to have people that when they get out of school, they're not going to follow the rules. They're going to park where they want to park. Um, I did a pros and cons because I didn't want to talk too long. Uh the pros of keeping the building, the memories, the cost, the possible costs, no change to the routine, the pros of keeping it at that location, and no additional inconvenience moving to Bates. The cons, which outweigh my pros, construction with the kids on site, the layown of the construction and the material, portables, the memories, the not good memories for the kids because they're going to be in portables and there's going to be construction around them. The learning disruption because of all of that, the playground now and at

160full capacity. Where are the kids going to play while this is happening? the cost, the additional cost to build on site, uh the time, the additional time to build the Q- line, the Q-ine for parking, what are we going to do with the Q- line while the construction is going on? I mean, for a pickup, I'm sorry. Uh closing the street, uh security of the kids on that confined site while all this is going on. We know what happened uh up north. Our kids are going to be in that confined site. Uh a tight neighborhood, open campus doing construction, construction noise to the neighborhood, and the rebuilding in a historic district. Now for the new site, the pros, brand new school, room to grow, room for our kids to play, our kids to run around

161and play. I don't see that much. I'm sorry. We got three minutes. Hopefully that's one. Uh the Q- line for parking is not going to be in a historic district. It's going to be next to the middle school, which makes for an easier transition from elementary to middle. The cost the cost will be less to build on the new site as opposed to trying to build uh with our kids there. And there's no disruption of learning. And finally, the cons. I think that was like a 10-minute one. Um, the traffic. I understand the traffic on Bates Avenue. I understand that. Uh, we uh at the city of Eusters and and you all said uh traffic is the pickup has gotten better. The chief has made a concerted effort to make sure that the message is

162sent that going forward there will be none of the parking. And last but not least, uh construction of a new school uh in the neighborhood. I know that's a con. No one wants a a life change. I understand it's a change of life. It's a change of lifestyle. But the most important thing is our kids. That's the most important thing is what's best for our kids. Okay. Done. >> Thank you, Mayor Hawkins. Anyone else? >> I didn't say that mayor stuff. I just went up as a res. >> Thank you, Mr. Hawkins, who's also the mayor. Any other public comments? >> Oh, and the technology. I'm sorry. >> Perfect. Everybody else good? All right. If that's the case, we're going to close public comment and go back to board discussion. Um, who would like to

163kick it off? >> I would love to. >> Go right ahead. Do we have the results of the traffic study? >> Good morning. I'm Jay Clema with Clema Weeks. Um we have a traffic consultant that has done some of the work. It's not quite done. We're expecting the final report uh next week is what they told me this morning. uh what has been accomplished um before the end of last school year, we were able to get them out there quickly in in the middle of May to grab existing data for the existing middle school. Um based on their analysis of the existing data and actually the city was kind enough to provide some data uh for traffic, background traffic on Bates as well. Uh based on that information, they're saying that the conditions at the

164intersections and on baits are acceptable. And I want to make sure I'm un I'm clear about what they're saying. >> The conditions at the intersection baits and >> No, no. On Bates and at the intersection of Orange and Land are the two locations that they were generally looking at. Um in those two locations, the traffic in its current condition is acceptable. I want to make sure I'm clear. It doesn't have anything to do with the concerns like people parking in people's driveways and things like that. They're literally looking at the infrastructure of the road and whether or not it uh accommodates the traffic. So, what we don't have is we don't have the the critical piece of what is the addition of the elementary school due to that. That's what we'll have next week. Uh

165the only piece that I was going to add is just to keep in mind that the operation of the middle school and the elementary school are two different times. So the likelihood of that increasing a condition on the on the existing roads is not high because they aren't there at the same time or if they are it's very limited in terms of the overlap. Does that make sense? Just because of the pickup and drop off times. So that's what I can update on the traffic study. >> Thank you Jay. >> Yep. Um that's it's a little bit disappointing that the traffic study isn't ready to to have the conversation. My number one concern um with the moving to the middle school is not the whether or not the roads can handle the capacity, it's the

166safety. And so I do live there and I do drive that road every single day of my life. And it is um it doesn't matter if you're talking about the cutoff road that runs between Orange Avenue and 44A, the cutoff road on this side which has the curtite on the left, the right side on Bates Avenue and the middle school on the left side of Bates Avenue. That road is heavily congested and I've had children at Kurt Wright that I've had to bring out and drop off and every there is not a light. There are no plans for a light there. It is not in the county's plan for the next 5 to 10 years to build a light there if there is a flashing light there. Um, and I have risked my own life

167to be on time for places to try to drop my kids off and get out of that intersection. So, and I I I that's a joke, but it's really not. So, I can tell you that in the mornings between the time of 7:00 a.m. to your point, different drop off times, that's not even including the middle school traffic. That's just the drop off for the high school on the right hand side. And then the 9:00 side as well, where I'm not necessarily coming across that traffic, but I have gone and observed because I know that the police chief has been there. Um, I know that they've been trying to make concessions for the residents and the concerns the residents have. My concern, and this is going to sound really rude and I don't mean it

168to be, it's not even about the residents. It's about the children that are on that road, that cutoff road. I see them walking in the morning. Those road conditions are absolutely horrible. >> I wouldn't let my own children walk on that road. And so as a board member for the past 10 years, one of the questions that I often say is if it's worth bringing up as a board member, if I wouldn't let my own children do it, I would not subject any child to it. We already have children walking those roads as middle schoolers. If we add an elementary school to that road, I worry that we're going to add elementary age students. I would never do that. It wouldn't matter if I had to quit my job and get a different job. We

169have students that we have to put a different lens on that don't have the opportunity to take a different position elsewhere so that they can take their kid to school or pick them up from school. It's just not a reality that they live in. So my number one number one concern is the safety of the amount of students would be adding to that road. And the backside, I didn't even before this conversation all came out, I wasn't even thinking about EST's. I drive a Ford Expedition and that road makes me nervous, just so you know. um nervous going this way that I'm going to hit the car that is also big because there's a lot of big trucks on the north end of the county. Um and so when we drive this way, it's and

170if you go too much to the right, there are mailboxes. So there is no way to annex. There's there's no way to get imminent domain. I've spoken to the county commissioner that represents our area as well. It would cost between 30 and $40 million for us to even begin the concept of asking for eminent domain building sidewalks on either one of the parallel roads, not the Bates road, the parallel roads to even get it up to standardized for kids. So I I can appreciate and and I was listening, Mayor Hawkins has been amazing. He is so supportive of the use of schools. If the swing site is an option, I feel like it takes care of some of the concerns about there's no play. There's no playfield at the current Eustus Elementary School if you've

171been there. like it's it's in pretty rough condition still currently. Um so if we move to the swing site, there is a play opportunity for them at the Kurt Reich campus. So that's not a concern anymore. There isn't learning loss. There's room to run around. There's rooms for those kids to do those things. I do have a concern that this is a 6acre site if you include the church parking lot. Is that accurate, Kelly? It's about 6 acres if you include the church parking lot and then we're talking about 15 acres. I do I do think that that it this this is a small property. If we have to grow beyond this, there's got to be other opportunities. And I will also tell you that the other concern I have is that decreased capacity, right?

172So, we know that we have students that are choosing other options than our public schools. And so, will we need a bigger school? Um, I Right. Don't I wish I had a crystal ball? Um, but right now, without this, without infrastructure in place from our county commissioners, this land was all annexed to us, too. Mr. Rodan's point, this was all annexed into Eustace, but some of it wasn't. And so there's even um concerns for me personally about who's whose problem is it and I don't want to build a school in a specific space because we have less time and >> what they have, >> right? >> Yeah. Yeah. I >> it's not even on the plan going >> that you're able to do this on this pretty 100th anniversary. you hear from the there or

173didn't go there but gotten away from can't run in elementary anymore and fairly unique um to you that one of the successes very limited