Report: school district is building schools for 9,700 new students, but only 4,800 will be added

A new impact fee study commissioned by Clay County Public Schools says that over the next 10 years, the district’s student population will grow by around 4,800 students. However, the district plans to build six new schools with 9,700 new student stations for $367.6 million over that same period.

Carson Bise told school board members during a Dec. 5 workshop that now, elementary school campuses are at 132% of utilization. The junior high schools are at 102% utilization and the senior highs are at 124%.

“That’s the highest I’ve ever seen in any school district,” the consultant told board members. “Most times, you’re in the 80% to 90% range, and obviously, given the lag time it takes to build schools, that’s when you start planning for that capacity.”

Bise said that if the district adds 4,687 additional student stations over the next 10 years, it could lower its kindergarten through eighth-grade utilization from the current 123% down to 113%. However, the district’s utilization would increase to 140% without the additional capacity.

The district plans to add nearly 9,700 new student stations through 2033 by building three kindergarten-through-eighth-grade campuses, one elementary school and two senior high schools. All of the new campuses are projected to be around Green Cove Springs, three to the west of the city and three to the south.

The impact fee study recommends that the district raise its current educational impact fee for a single-family residence from $7,034 to $10,551. If school board members follow the recommendations in the report, the educational impact fee for multi-family units would increase from the current $3,236 to $4,807 and for mobile homes from $5,979 to $8,948.