School Board lauds Sarasota High plan

Sarasota County proved it takes a village to renovate classic school architecture when attendees of a design charrette June 6 and June 7 unanimously approved a design for the Sarasota County High School rebuild.

And, the Sarasota County School Board proved elected officials can listen to constituents when they applauded the design, despite its estimated $30.5 million price tag.

The cost forecast, which is $4 million more than what was previously earmarked for the project, could vary as the timeline of construction is set and building begins, said Sarasota County School District COO Scott Lempe at a Monday, June 19, School Board work session.

“It’s unfair this early in a project to ask a general contractor to estimate the cost of doing work,” he said. “We don’t even have schematics yet, so it’s awful early in the project.”

However, the earliest a timeline for the renovation would be available is the end of summer, Lempe explained.

“What are we doing about the feces problem?” asked School Board member Caroline Zucker. The chairwoman was referring to a problem with squirrel and bird droppings plaguing some hallways in the renovation area. “It’s so vivid in my mind from the visit last month. And that’s not a good thing to have in my mind’s eye.”

Data cables and wiring that line the top of some of the hallways are to blame, said Lempe.

“It’s mostly the birds,” he said. “The birds and squirrels, it gives them a place to hang out.”

The redesign would remove many of the hanging fixtures, taking away a resting place for animals.

Zucker was also concerned about the loss of parking spaces near the Sarasota Sailor Circus, which she counted to be 50 after analyzing the public design choice. Lemke and the Harvard Jolly Inc. architect who presented at the design charrette did not know how many spaces were being lost through construction.

Lemke said concerns voiced by the public about School Avenue, which cuts through the middle of the SHS campus, will be considered, saying he’s committed to keeping the conversation about the road open. Orange Avenue, which streaks through Booker High School, was rerouted around the campus. A representative from the Alta Vista Homeowners Association said rerouting School Avenue could be in residents’ best interest, despite concerns about creating traffic congestion. Lempe is now trying to get a spot on the agenda of the association’s Thursday, June 28 meeting.

“I’m very concerned about School Avenue,” said Jane Goodwin, School Board member. “It’s been on my radar for a while.”

All of the School Board members praised Dan Bailey, a land-use attorney and emcee of the design charrette, for his leadership during the public forum. Lempe noted on the second day Bailey only had to say, “Don’t make me blow this whistle,” to bring order to the crowded conference room.

“You can move mountains just by the fact of who you are,” Zucker said to Bailey, who was in the audience during the work session.

Board members volleyed compliments to stakeholders in the project, but there were still concerns about the lack of tennis courts in the rebuild.

“You can only stuff so much stuff in a 70-pound bag, and you can only do so much with this 60-acre bag,” Lempe said. However, he did say he would undertake a feasibility study about the potential for tennis courts.

Tandem Construction, the general contractor for the project, provided the early cost estimate, which would require the board to increase the district budget by $4 million. However, all of the designs at the charrette would have required at least $2 million more than the already $26.5 million in the coffer for the project.

“There are competing projects for this money,” Lempe said. “But, the bottom line is that the capital budget can support it.”

The board ended the topic with thanks to Lempe.

“It seems like every time we have a hard decision to make, you take it away from us,” Brown said. “I guess I should say you’re just making my job too darn easy.”

Efficient Math
Sarasota County middle-school math classes are this year getting a lesson in efficient use of resources.
Sarasota County has tweaked its middle-school model to save money and better teach mathematics to students. Traditionally, middle schools operate in a team structure with students separated into small annual groups that have one teacher from each discipline.

During budget talks at the Monday, June 19 monthly work session, Sarasota County School Board Chairwoman Caroline Zucker raised questions about the number of middle-school math teachers decreasing.

Superintendant Lori White said the new model breaks math teachers away from the team structure and allows for more efficient delivery of leveled math lessons.

“Yes, we have bent the rules,” she said, “but it’s always been about what’s best for the students as a balance.”