Q: Do you have an update on the new schools scheduled to open in 2026?
A: Yes, we have received multiple bids for these two new K-8 schools, to be built in Nocatee and Silverleaf and open in time for the 2026 – 2027 school year. The bids came in at approximately $61 million each. For comparison purposes, Pine Island Academy, which opened just three years ago, had a bid of $31 million. These new schools will be the same basic plan as Pine Island Academy, just adjusted for the footprint of the property.
Q: What’s the latest on the school under construction in RiverTown?
A: This school is scheduled to open for the 2025 – 2026 school year. I was able to visit the construction site recently and observe the tilt wall construction in progress. It’s an engineering feat: workers form the walls on the ground and then a huge crane, capable of lifting 300 tons, lifts the wall and puts it into a preformed trough. This holds the wall in place and then it is secured with big braces. It took less than an hour to pick up a wall and put it in the trough. We’ve used this methodology for a while to build our new schools; this is just the first time I could observe it in person. The construction of this school is coming along on schedule.
Q: And finally with respect to new schools, what is the status of Trout Creek Academy and Lakeside Academy, due to open for the upcoming 2024 – 2025 school year?
A: These two schools are almost if not fully staffed and administration should be moving in fairly soon. They are both scheduled to open in time for orientation in early August.
Q: With respect to all the construction, many schools still have portables. Can you comment on why the district continues to lease them?
A: We continue to have a lot of relocatables because we can’t keep up with the growth despite these five new schools under construction. We choose to lease rather than purchase the relocatables, because if we purchase them, they would be listed on the individual school’s permanent capacity, which would hurt us in the long run in showing need for more student stations. Additionally, by leasing, we can move the relocatables if we want (and we do this sometimes) plus we can return them if they are no longer needed.
Q: What can you tell us about the upcoming budget process?
A: We will start our budget meetings in July and people will have ample opportunity to see the budget before we vote on it. We will have a public hearing on July 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the School Board Auditorium on Orange Street and another one on Sept. 10 before our vote, which is scheduled for that same evening. The budget includes the tentative agreement the district has with the teachers’ and support staff unions. The agreement for teachers includes the teacher pay allocation from the state that the governor has discussed so much as well as additional money from our district’s general fund. These agreements will be voted on for ratification in preplanning in early August prior to the start of the school year and, if ratified, the School Board will vote on them at our meeting on Aug. 13.
Q: Do you have anything else to share with District 1?
A: We are pleased that most all of our schools are fully staffed for next year. We still do need all new students to be registered as soon as possible! Visit https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/student/enrollment/ to learn what forms are needed and to register online.
Finally, we are excited to have five swimmers from Bartram Trail High School and one runner from Creekside High School who will be attending the Olympic trials. We are certainly proud of their accomplishments.
Q: How can our readers contact you?
A: They can email me at beverly.slough@stjohns.k12.fl.us or call me at (904) 547-7510.
