New K - 8 School in SOUTHBEND, PSL

[sarahtaylor dot com]

I attended the Southbed Home Owner's Association meeting last month where the St Lucie School board discussed a land purchase they made recently and their plans to build a K - 8 School on that property.

Highlights of the event and topics you can debate/discuss:

- The school is going to be 3 story and built on wet-lands that are not preserved.(there were some activist there that made for some excitment). The land was sold to PSL School board for 5 million. A housing developer sold it to the school board. From what I heard at the meeting, the developer bought the land for 1.2 million and sold it for 5 million to the school board. That's what I heard - not saying it's a fact.

- The entrance to the school will be on the two lots near Wake Road - Right SMACK DAB in the middle of a neighborhood.

- There will be two alternate exits on Quay and some other street on the opposite side. That means buses are going to be rumbling thru our neighborhoods

- So the question was posed : what are we going to do about the Southbend bridge, the width of Floresta, and the fact that Southbend is only 1 lane each way? Well ... the answer from the school board was that they were still in the design phase. Not to sound like a smartie - but from the pictures they displayed it looked like they pretty much had the design of the school down pat but hadn't given much attention to our roads yet.

The bright side is that we will have another school. My personal opinion is that this could have been put out on Becker Road which isn't much further. Southbend's only PSL access is the bridge and I can't imagine what that is going to look like in the mornings and afternoons.

The School Board already owns the land and stated that they are going to push back the building to around 2010 (if I remember correctly). I doubt anything could be protested at this point. I think the roads need to be seriously considered because that is going to be craziness. They stated that they could add turn lanes at the entrances but I don't think that's going to be the answer. I can't imagine the roads not being changed, they open the school, and then go "oops - there are too many cars" and then start construction DURING the school year to fix the roads.

And for those that live in Southbend - there is an association that meets quarterly and their website is www.SBLRA.com . The site needs some work (not mine, but I mentioned I would help out with some design and marketing).

[Alyssa]

I live in Southbend and the school situation sounds like a terriable thing. This will bring more overcrowding for the residents like me. I think most of the coumminty will not like this idea either, there is no one who wants there to be construction by their house. You should send out paper for voting and tell them where the location is and everything.

[sarahtaylor dot com]

Southbend has a resident's association that does a pretty good job of keeping the public informed - their website is www.SBLRA.org

[mark]

Alyssa wrote:

I live in Southbend and the school situation sounds like a terriable thing. This will bring more overcrowding for the residents like me. I think most of the coumminty will not like this idea either, there is no one who wants there to be construction by their house. You should send out paper for voting and tell them where the location is and everything.

Obviously a graduate of ST. Lucie County Schools!

[GoBackToWhereYou CameFrom]

Mark,

I'm sure you graduated from Harvard and that is why you are living in Port St. Lucie. Go back to New Jersey where everyone smells as bad as you do.

[John45]

Mark is most likely a renter or lives with his parents still and therefore has no Idea what an effect a project like this can have on property values.

[Pam]

You all want schools, but NOT in your backyard right? Well, ya know what? Tough! Stop being so damn selfish. You must be the people who don't have younger children?

[Nick]

A school in the neighborhood will INCREASE your property values.

[Mik]

The school will not be in the blue zone so the families that live in southbend won't be able to send their kids there. That sucks!

[Tammy]

Were not opposed to the school were opposed to who will be able to attend. How would you like a k-8 school right next door but only St. Lucie West children could attend. What happened to neighborhood schools. Isn't gas high enough?? Why don't we learn to conserve it makes more sense.

[Tammy]

apparently you have no information on the matter. Yes we need schools. I have children. But why are they putting a school in Southbend for St. Lucie West children. Are the roads not blocked enough. Why is there no close area for the children to stay near their backyards??

[Vivian]

I just moved to the area and my children are attending the temporary school site for Southbend K-8. Has anyone tried to change the zoning so kids can go to the school closest to where they live. I know it's hard when the boundarys change but right now I drive my children aproximately 15 miles each way to get to school. I think that is absolutely crazy.

[Mark]

GoBackToWhereYouCameFrom wrote:

Mark,
I'm sure you graduated from Harvard and that is why you are living in Port St. Lucie. Go back to New Jersey where everyone smells as bad as you do.

Yet another intellectual giant. I have been teaching in the St. Lucie County Public Schools and I know how ignorant you are!

[Mark]

John45 wrote:

Mark is most likely a renter or lives with his parents still and therefore has no Idea what an effect a project like this can have on property values.

Nor do I care, fool! That's the best you got? Ignorance is biss I guess!

[Mary]

It is October '09. WHat is the latest on the school in Southbend please?

[bigdaddy]

hahaha what good are more schools if you cant pay a teacher a decent wage in psl.