VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia School Board is considering spending more than $8 million on a piece of land in DeBary to build a new school.
However, the city said the site at Spring Vista Drive and Shell Road is not appropriate. Developing land in DeBary is becoming more difficult as the city works to build a downtown and create more amenities for residents.
City Manager Carmen Rosamonda said to put it simply, there isn’t much land left. “Unfortunately, the school board has just stood by and hasn’t done anything for the last 5 or 7 years and unfortunately we are pretty much all built out,” said Rosamonda.
The school board initially purchased a property at US 1792 and Buckley Drive to build a new K-8 school but later determined the project to be too expensive. Now, members are looking to buy land at Spring Vista Drive and Shell Road.
But doing so, according to Rosamonda, would create serious problems for the people already there.
“It impacts eminent domain of people’s houses, it impacts the businesses that are located there, and it impacts existing subdivisions that were already built there prior to the school coming there,” said Rosamonda.
The school district sent Eyewitness News an email explaining why the new school is needed and why DeBary is the best location:
Enterprise Elementary School was last rebuilt in the 1960s. With the DeBary area currently serving over 3,000 students—and more expected as the community continues to grow—staff have identified a disproportionate number of schools relative to the student population compared to other areas of the district.
Tonight, the School Board will consider a staff recommendation to proceed with the purchase of property for a new school in the area. This recommendation is based on long-term growth projections and the need to provide adequate learning space for current and future students.
The original Enterprise Elementary dates back to the early 1900s, and its current structure was replaced after a fire in 1964.
Therefore, a replacement school was identified as a priority under the voter-approved half-cent sales tax plan. The existing site cannot accommodate a full replacement, so DeBary was identified as a location for the replacement due to the need in the area.
While half-cent dollars and impact fees have been collected from DeBary residents, this money has not yet been used to build a school in DeBary.
If approved for planning, early designs could accommodate up to 1,300 students in grades K–8. However, it’s important to note that this is a preliminary step and remains contingent on board direction.
Rosamonda said if the board does move forward, it will violate an agreement with the city. In January, both groups participated in a four-hour hearing on the issue.
“Based upon that, the city council made a decision that the Springview site is not consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan,” said Rosamonda.
If the board moves forward, the city may have to take legal action to prevent them from building.
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