NEW HIGH SCHOOL APPROVED

City Partners with School Board

 

Coral Springs 12/17/01:   

The City of Coral Springs announced that a new high school has been approved and planned for the City of Coral Springs. The new facility will be located in the Sportsplex located just south of Sample Road adjacent to the Sawgrass Expressway.  It will service 2870 students at capacity and will be opened for the school year beginning September 2004.

The school was a major achievement for the city after much lobbying of School board members. Originally, the school board was to locate the school outside of city boundaries in Coconut Creek and for less students. This plan was quickly opposed by the city commissioners who wanted the new education facility to be located so that no bussing of Coral Springs children would take place. The board was about to drop the plans for the new facility due to financial reasons as the cost of land in Coral Springs would have placed them way over budget.

That’s when city manager Michael Levenson came to bat. He forwarded the idea of a “partnership” combining the resources of the City with the financial abilities of the School Board. He offered the School Board land free of charge, and agreed to provide all of the playing fields necessary for the physical activities and school sports. The School board approved the new high school after City Manager Michael Levenson made the deal too good to refuse.

“We gave them land that we already owned” said Michael Levenson, ” The playing fields will be a shared park between the school and the city. They will use it during school hours, and the citizens will have the use during the rest of the time”.  He went on to state that it is a win win situation for both the City and the School Board.

The plan for the school involves several other pieces. The city will widen the roadway  and help the school solve a ‘wetland’ protection problem.  The school will be located adjacent and just south of what was to be the Sawgrass Nature center. By combining the wetlands with the school the environmental protection problems have been solved. The Sawgass Nature Center might even be moved back to share the site.

The city will also help in the acquisition of land to the south of the new school where a Golf Driving range currently is situated.

The school board plans to spend $40 million dollars on the construction of the new High School. Needless to say, all of the city commissioners where thrilled about the announcement.