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Escambia School Board Buys 36 Acres For $3.9 Million For New Beulah School
July 18, 2024
The Escambia County School Board has approved the purchase of property in Beulah for a new school for nearly $4 million.
The 36-acre tract is bordered by Mobile Highway, Beulah School Road and Helms Road.
The board approved purchasing the property from James Frank and Cornelia Sue Higdon for $3.9 million. It is located less than a mile from the current Beulah Elementary School and about two miles from Beulah Middle School.
Escambia School Superintendent Keith Leonard said it has not yet been determined which grades might be served by a new school on the site., but it will alleviate crowding at other schools in the area.
There are 900 students at Beulah Elementary School with a multitude of portables.
The school board will discuss plans for the new school at a meeting in August, and Leonard hopes that plans will be ready in about six months with construction possibly starting in about a year.
NorthEscambaia.com graphic.
Comments
25 Responses to “Escambia School Board Buys 36 Acres For $3.9 Million For New Beulah School”
ECSD should acquire property in Molino now to build a new Molino Park High School (in anticipation of growth, the logistical isolation of Northview High School, and to reduce Tate’s district back to the south).
One lane going both ways is a two lane highway.
The new traffic light at Klondike was supposed to make up for the traffic problems and shut everyone’s mouth.
As far as the west side getting four lane roads just forget it, we are the redheaded stepchild. Nine mile got improvements only because NFCU paid off someone.
So these proces makes OLF worth over $55,000,000 min., more considering location and weither or not err i mean once the taxpayers pay to make the land usable. Shhould be a $75,000,000 deal out there then. Hummmmmm
@FTP If you look deep enough there is always a reason. Everyone involved is getting a piece of the pie.
Corruption is rampant!
So agree with you – seems like someone is getting their own pockets padded pretty good!
@old puppy Your comment got a little condescending at the end. You kinda shamed yourself there. Take a drive a little further north/west the fairgrounds on Mobile Hwy and you’ll understand what others are talking about.
Very similar to the Beulah Road/9 Mile Road/Frank Reader Road/OLF traffic and infrastructure debacle, it seems our county is once again putting the horse ahead of the cart. I am at an absolute loss as to how a school board can toss around $4 million dollars without any prior plans, other than ‘we’re gonna build a school’, on a piece of property in the middle of a residential area. They don’t even know what grades they might put there? Can’t wait to see how much money they’re willing to spend on planning – much less development.
@oldpuppy Get on Mobile Hwy and go north of the fairgrounds and count those lanes again. Clearly you have never been passed the fairgrounds.
If you look deep enough there is always a reason. Everyone involved is getting a piece of the pie.
Corruption is rampant!
@ old puppy, all of Mobile Hwy , lol well when it gets past pine forest road it goe to two lane all the way into Alabama, just trying to educate some folks .
@BJ Reed… last time I checked, when 2 lanes go 1 direction and 2 more go another direction (you know like ALL OF MOBILE HWY?) then it’s considered a 4 lane highway. Just thought I’d help educate someone
There must be gold or oil on this property! NESC, can you tell us if an unbiased, professional appraisal was made on this piece of property before it was decided to spend 108,000+ per acre?
You realize if we all quit paying taxes on everything they can’t do anything because they won’t have any money to pay anybody
Amen I am glad I am not the only one paying attention
Great we will have what four schools within two miles of each other, don’t we have enough traffic on the roads already, Mobile highway needs to be four lane with all the new construction that’s going on here on the West side you would think there wasn’t any other place to build homes other than Mobile hwy.
4 million for 36 acres seems kind of high. But I guess when the seller is the Esc County Public Works Director and the President of Beulah Academy of Science Board of Directors people are willing to overlook that kind of money?! Seems like the Florida public school system just made a huge donation to the retirement fund of the County Public Works Director.
What was wrong with using OLF-8?
New houses bring greater population and greater tax revenue. A development of 50 acres that has a tax rate of a few hundred dollars yearly will now produce a couple of thousand dollars for every new home built. So yes, taxpayers will pay for the new growth, just not up front.
So $108,333 an acre is a good deal for the taxpayers?
Really, a new school on a two lane highway!?
Look at Jim Allen on 95A. Traffic should override all
Thoughts of a school location.
Maybe by the landfill on Beulah Rd. LMAO
Not bad for land the Escambia County Property Appraiser had valued at $445,850 in 2023. Perhaps the county should use imminent domain next time and let the judge set the price.
So the district spends all that money and has no idea what they are even going to put there? Seems a little out of order don’t you think? I would think prior to spending that money the district would have gotten a plan together and know what they were going to put there, especially given the close proximity to the other campuses. Doesn’t seem like they thought this one through very well.
THANY YOU, Superintendent Leonard and Escambia County School Board Members for being PROACTIVE in planning ahead for student growth…I’ve been stressing for 2 years now about over student population and lack of facilities. I would also like for you to look at district 5 overburdened School population.
from a retired teacher who taught in a portable 13 out of 33 years in ESCAMBIA COUNTY…Bonnie Exner.
If it was appraised properly I have no problem with paying fair market value.When any government funds are being used the prices are always high.Supply and demand.
Rumor has it that parents are already lining up to pick their kids up from the school.
The developers keep getting richer off of the backs of the tax payers. Ain’t unchecked growth fun?