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Letter from Anne Geiger, School Board District 6 Representative

EDGEWATER HIGH SCHOOL UPDATE #4

A. At a recent community meeting, held at Edgewater High School on the evening of November 12, 2007, the following information was shared by Superintendent Ron Blocker, Chief Facilities Officer Bob Proie, and architect C.T. Hsu about conceptual plan options for Edgewater High School:

1. As directed by the School Board, cost-effective options were developed and studied in depth for Edgewater High School’s renovation:
a. Option A1 – No land acquisition, build on current site only, use of swing school site for period of construction. Estimated cost: $109 million to $114 million. Estimated completion: August 2011.
b. Option A2- No land acquisition, build on current site only. Estimated cost: $127 million. Estimated completion: January 2013.
c. Option B- Acquisition of shopping center. Estimated cost, including land: $108 million. Estimated completion: August 2012.
d. Option C- Acquisition of shopping center and mobile home park. Estimated cost, including land: $108 million. Estimated completion: August 2012.

2. Superintendent Blocker indicated that Option A1, A2 and B are unlikely, and that option C is most likely.

3. COVE (the Superintendent’s Construction Oversight and Value Engineering committee) and the School Board will review options. The School Board will make the final decision about land acquisition.

4. While all high schools have facility use agreements with public and private entities, the idea to have a YMCA or other joint use facility on the Edgewater campus is a goal of some in the College Park community. Both Superintendent Blocker and Chief Facilities Officer Proie asserted that OCPS is open to such opportunities but emphasized that the first priority is the educational program of Edgewater High School, and that the budget and timeline cannot be impacted, and outside funding would be necessary.

B. COVE reviewed all options on Thursday, November 15, 2007. Option C was selected.

C. The School Board approved a construction budget for Edgewater in September 2007 for $106 million. At the time, as I indicated in other email updates, land acquisition costs were above that amount and would therefore increase overall costs to over $130 million. Over the last several years, estimates for combined construction and land acquisition costs for Edgewater had consistently exceeded $120 million, at one time reaching over $150 million. These estimates were unacceptable to COVE and the School Board. Hence, the School Board directed the Superintendent to explore cost-effective options.

Fortunately, during in-depth study of the four options, five circumstances led to lower construction estimates so that the overall estimated costs (construction and land acquisition) moved to be more in line with the approved budget:
1. Significant lowering of construction costs as evidenced in recent construction bids for prototype and renovation projects.
2. Projected 5-year enrollment of approximately 2,400.
3. Castaldi analysis (Florida Department of Education) requiring more buildings that must be retained than was earlier assumed.
4. C.T. Hsu and architectural team developed a more cost-effective conceptual design.
5. Land appraisals came in lower than previous ones.

I am very happy that these circumstances have aligned so that the Superintendent and his staff were able to assure us that we can purchase land and renovate the Edgewater campus within the approved budget. While it has been said that this plan (option C) was the one that made sense all along, the fact is that it had to make sense financially, not just on paper. I will advocate for option C to my School Board colleagues, but this remains a much higher budget than other high school projects. Many eyes will be watching the process going forward, including COVE. I will be vigilant and I have asked the Superintendent to likewise be vigilant in protecting the budget and timeline. It would be helpful if the community also served as another set of eyes to make sure that the project stays on track.

I have requested that regular community meetings be held during the design process so that the community can stay informed and be allowed ample opportunity to provide input. My email updates will continue on a monthly basis.

After some rough spots, we are well on our way to providing a renovated, state-of-the art high school campus for the students of Edgewater. I respect the tenacity of the Edgewater Task Force and understand the anxieties surrounding various options. This kind of passionate devotion has always helped make Edgewater one of Orange County’s most successful high schools. As the “sweet” sentiment on cards given out on Monday night expressed, “It’s great to be an Edgewater Eagle. Your support has been a life saver”!

Anne Geiger
Orange County Public Schools
School Board, District 6
407-317-3236 (office), 407-399-1768 (cell)
geigera@ocps.net