ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County School District is moving forward on the construction of a much-needed K-8 school in Nocatee.
At a St. Johns County School Board meeting this week, the district gave an update on the new school that is expected to bring relief to Palm Valley Academy, another Nocatee K-8 school that is currently about 400 students over ideal enrollment numbers.
Recommended Videos
The goal is to have the new school ready for the 2021-2022 school year, sooner than was originally planned.
“It’s an aggressive approach,” said Cathy Mittelstadt, St. Johns County School District deputy superintendent of operations. “We are trying to meet the growth needs in the county.”
The district estimates about 1,500 new students move into the district each year.
The new K-8 will be located near Crosswalk at Nocatee, just north of Pine Island Road, on land that was donated by the Nocatee developer.
Originally the school was destined for another site in Nocatee, but environmental challenges forced the district to find a new site, the St. Augustine Record reported.
The school, which will cost about $40 million, will be funded by a mix of impact fees, borrowed money and $13 million from a recently implemented half-cent sales tax.
The school is expected to accommodate about 1,400 students, but the exact number of students that will attend the school won’t be known until school re-zoning happens in the fall.
The school should provide relief to Palm Valley Academy which currently has 18 temporary portables and nearly 1,900 students.
K-8 School “MM," will be constructed from the existing district K-8 prototype design and construction plans are 98% complete and under review by district staff. The site is already being cleared, according to the district.
The bid opening is scheduled for Feb. 18 with a construction contract award to follow at the March School Board meeting.
The district is also quickly moving forward on the construction of a new high school in the World Golf Village area. That new school is also expected to be ready for the 2021-2022 school year.
