School board discusses future expansion

Sarasota County School Board members received an update on the 5-year capital improvement plan at their workshop this morning – which informed them that the district needs to start saving for future schools.

Kathie Ebaugh, the district's director of long-range planning, told the board that the current method of projecting future enrollment is inaccurate. Currently, the predictions are based on birth data, which was good enough when growth was stagnant in and right after the recession, Ebaugh said. However, residential developments are on the rise and families will start moving back in—which isn’t factored into the available data.

“Families will once again see Sarasota County as a viable place to live,” she said.

The board needed to get answers to some key questions, such as the maximum capacity of all the schools and which area of developments would be growing and need new schools, she said.

“We know the questions, we don’t know the answers,” Ebaugh said.

The board approved hiring Tindale-Oliver, a firm to complete a growth management study, at its Jan. 6 meeting. The study could cost up to $120,000 and will be conducted over the next year. The firm will study the district, upcoming developments and current facilities to help guide the board in planning long term for future needs and where to find funds to pay for future facilities.

Jane Goodwin said she’s talked to developers about the population moving into new developments, and their responses suggested the retired demographic would continue to increase.

“I’m really looking forward to this consultant,” she said.

Ebaugh agreed that Sarasota County would always attract retirees, but that the board shouldn’t discount the growth of families. Ebaugh said one of the main reasons she chose to move into the county was because of the good reputation of the school district.

Ebaugh also said that the board had to consider charter schools in the county as well, because if a charter school closed the district needed to be able to absorb the students who could transfer to the public schools.