West Villages Improvement District: West Villages: North Port Sun's Facebook Page reports...Acreage bought for new school in West Villages

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North Port Sun's Facebook Page reports

Acreage bought for new school in West Villages

By JONATHAN SCHOLLES
Staff Writer

SARASOTA — The Sarasota County School Board unanimously voted Tuesday to buy a 60-acre piece of land in the West Villages to accommodate a new elementary and middle school.

The property, near the corner of U.S. 41 and River Road, is valued at $3.65 million and will be financed with impact-fee credits. The district has been eying the location for about a decade and has been in negotiations with Manasota Beach Ranchlands for the last two years.

While the district now owns the property, it’s unclear when a new school will be built.

Kathie Ebaugh, the district’s director of planning, said it’s not currently in the five-year forecast and it’s undecided if it will be included in the next five-year outlook.

The issue, Ebaugh said, is that Taylor Ranch Elementary School is “at capacity,” but not enough “to justify building a new school.” A year ago, Taylor Ranch’s enrollment was 631 students. So far this year, enrollment spiked to 689, Ebaugh said.

The future school will be designed for kindergarten through eighth grade, but it will likely start as an elementary school since Venice Middle School has extra capacity, Ebaugh said.

“At some point in time, there will be enough kids to justify a new school,” she said. “But when? I don’t know. That’s a question for the crystal ball.

“It’s definitely something we’ll closely monitor,” she added. “It’s on our radar.”

There has been a push countywide to build new schools as neighborhood developments continue to emerge, especially in South County, as well as Lakewood Ranch.

None exhibit growth as rapid as West Villages, which is on pace for 1,000 home sales this year.

The booming community, which plans a medical and retail development to balance the educational component, will have about 2,200 elementary-aged students when a school is built, Ebaugh said.

Overall, 4,788 students are expected to reside in the West Villages region, which is nestled between North Port and Venice.

For community members, Marty Black, general manager of West Villages, said a school is now “not just a dream, but a reality.”

“They are excited that things are starting to happen,” he said. “Both public and private investments will bring new amenities, allowing the community to grow and make it a destination.”

Crunching numbers, Ebaugh said a new school, housing 825 students, will cost roughly $26 million. She added no further design elements have been discussed yet.

“The only thought we put into it so far is where we want to put the school,” said Ebaugh, noting the location is adjacent to State College of Florida.

While it’s early, collaborations between the schools would be ideal, Ebaugh said.
Black agreed, saying, “There is plenty of opportunity for students who are interested in postsecondary education to intern.”

Currently, Sarasota County Schools builds one school every five years. While noted for its excellence, Ebaugh said the district expects “slow growth for schools” as its overall student generation rate ranks among the lowest in the state.

“We know we are a retirement community,” Ebaugh said. “But we definitely need schools. And we have great schools. They are an asset and they help attract families to the community.”

And as the communities to grow — some at staggering rates — Black said a school in the West Villages may be built sooner than 10 years.

“We’re filling up really quick,” he said, pointing to the number of homes sold this year alone.

Email: jscholles@sun-herald.com