Today’s agenda the building of High School “JJJ”, which will be built in Silverleaf. Timeframe will be the 2029-2030 school year.
High School history: The district evolved from two to multiple high schools with changing building prototypes over time. Prototype designs for Tocoi and Beachside high schools used a college campus style with separate buildings and courtyards. This current prototype requires students to cross open courtyards, prompting fencing and security modifications.
The district looked at a new prototype that has been built in Seminole County. The new designs disperse administrative offices throughout buildings, differing from traditional centralized front offices. The new prototype had open collaborative concourses, which is similar to the elementary school prototype which have an open area concept, but the open area concept needed to be enclosed due to safety mandates. In the new prototype the current gyms are middle school-sized, lacking adequate space and offices for high school athletics. Despite district growth, high schools remain overcrowded with nearly 3,000 students in relocatable by the time a new high school is built.
Construction timeline for building a new high school typically requires 3-4 years including design and construction phases. With that timeline, high schools become overly crowded.
The district plans to use an updated prototype of Ponte Vedra High School which will expedite design and construction. The new prototype design meets the current codes, offers flexible building size and supports a connected courtyard and can be built in less time. The prototype will have changes made to the gym size (high school size) and the auditorium will be built similar to Tocoi.
The cost to build a new high school is about $120 million and the district will not have to borrow money. Money was saved through impact fees, proportionate share mitigation and sales tax dollars. The district prioritizes self-managed school construction for cost savings and quality control.
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