The three new public schools in Boca are still on track, even though county schools are officially closed for the semester. The Aug. 10 new start date is board approved and on the School District of Palm Beach County calendar.
Verde is well under construction on the same site on Verde Trail. Students are due to move in when they start school in August. Addison Mizner is due to be razed over the summer and rebuilt as a two-story on Southwest 12th Avenue. Both former grade schools will be reborn as kindergarten through eighth grade to help resolve overcrowding.
City council Tuesday approved the land lease with the school district for OC3, moving plans along for the district’s new public grade school. The city’s still working out if the 12-acre temporary holding school site can expand to 16 acres. The district wants to grow the permanent campus off Military Trail and Banyan Trail.
Council’s approval allowed the school board to approve plans for the grade school design and construction. School board chairman Frank Barbieri Jr. thanked city council. With space for more than 900 students, that will help Waters Edge, Sunrise Park and Whispering Pines in western Boca and city schools affected, he said. “So we can build the school we need.”
Here’s what the school board approved on Wednesday:
- The architect will provide all professional services necessary for permitted design documents within the established construction budget and in accordance with the established design schedule required for construction of a new, 970 elementary school
- Total fee for the design: $1,342,540
- Established budget for construction $18,556,660
- Contract awarded to Zyscovich Architects, Inc. under RFP 18C-021S, Project No. 0921-7390 is: $1,522,540.
The document also detailed reimbursement to the district from other available sources.
Approval was subject to Boca Raton City Council approving a resolution indicating its intent to dedicate a 16-acre parcel.
“If such action does not occur, the superintendent will withdraw the item and the project opening will likely be delayed for one school year,” according to a provision in the district document. That was not discussed at council and it’s undetermined what will happen now.
By Marci Shatzman
