COMMUNITY
Wakulla Station News
By VERNA BROCKHello, June! School is out for the summer, and 4-H has a few openings for 4-H camp. Staff and volunteers are busy training, and spots are going fast. If you and your kids are interested, call the Wakulla County Extension office for more information.
Also, there is a need for a new cooking club leader, since Samantha Isaacs will be busy teaching and coaching at Wakulla Middle School this coming year. If you love to cook, and want to share that enthusiasm with eager young minds, consider volunteering with 4-H!
Recently, I have noticed a whole lot of social media buzz about the proposed reno/update of Wakulla High School. I thought it might be relevant to share the perspective of a former school board member on the topic.
First, despite widespread conviction, this has NOTHING to do with football and preventing an intra-county rivalry. It has EVERYTHING to do with the State of Florida and its requirements that must be met in order to qualify for state monies to help pay for a new high school.
Florida law requires schools to be very overcrowded, well past full capacity, to be eligible for state funding. According to the FDOE, Wakulla High isn’t there yet, at all. In order to build a completely new facility, with all the amenities we have in Medart, costs could approach $80 million or more. Add to that the duplication of staff, teachers, programs and services, and the costs become nearly insurmountable. Even with the additional tax revenue the county would need to assess, it would be a heavy load to lift.
Conversely, the original high school facility is well past its expiration date and showing its age. Florida considers the new plan a fiscally sound one that will give Wakulla years of additional service. When our population does exceed the facility, we can qualify for state monies to provide a second high school.
Don’t forget our tax funding comes from one quarter of our actual county land mass. Only one quarter of the county can actually be developed. Obviously, this limits the size of our population and our available tax revenues
So, unless we find a very wealthy philanthropist willing to underwrite the costs of a second high school, Wakulla County must continue to rely on the State of Florida for any new schools. Or taxpayers can agree to levy much higher ad valorem taxes.
Hope this helps to clarify the discussion.
Condolences to Clementine (Clem) Bunker, on the loss of her beloved sister. Please remember Clem and her family in your prayers, as well as Sebastian Mosely. Little Sebastian continues to grow stronger, which allows him to remain on the heart transplant waiting list.