“Sal” wrote last Friday that the expansion of A.K. Suter Elementary has been in the works for years. He got me double-checking my research and I came across two documents that prove not only that the $21-million new Suter facility hasn’t been in the works for years, but also the proposed school won’t meet the capacity requirements established by the School Board.
First document is the EDUCATIONAL PLANT FIVE YEAR SURVEY REPORT which was given to the School Board in 2010. The actual report date is 11/15/10. It recommended some remodeling and new classrooms for Suter by 2012 – 3,744 net. sq ft. for $688,896 – See 17SurveySuter. The survey makes no mention of a $21-million school for Suter in the next five years.
The other document that I stumbled upon was the May 2009 Interlocal Agreement between the School Board, Escambia County, City of Pensacola and Town of Century. The District states that it will build a new K-8 school on the west side of the county for an estimated $35 million. The board also commits to a new downtown school. There is no mention of a new A.K. Suter or Ernest Ward.
But what really got my interest was the page on which Superintendent Malcolm Thomas tells the other government entities that it’s the policy of the School Board that all new elementary schools will be have a minimum capacity of 796 students. According to the daily newspaper, the new Ak. Suter Elementary will have a maximum capacity of only 400 students. See Capacity policy.
Let’s say that the daily newspaper got it wrong. The School Board wants to double the capacity of Suter and it’s adding 400 new students. Where will those children come from? Most likely target would be to close another predominantly-black school – O.J. Semmes.
The Superintendent and School Board need to reconsider this plan. The costs can’t be justified.
Thanks, “Sal,” for encouraging me to do more research. I do wonder if the school board is violating its interlocal agreement by building Ward and Suter and not the much more needed west side K-8 school that it committed to do.