District officials break ground on its first new school in five years
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – By August 2023, the Clay County School District will welcome its 43rd school, Spring Park Elementary.
School District officials were joined by County and Green Cove Springs …
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District officials break ground on its first new school in five years
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – By August 2023, the Clay County School District will welcome its 43rd school, Spring Park Elementary.
School District officials were joined by County and Green Cove Springs representatives for the ground-breaking at the 20.9-acre site off of County Road 315. It will encompass 110,000 square feet and have 48 classrooms. It will have the capacity for 851 students.
The total construction cost is $35.4 million. Spring Park Elementary was designed by Bhide & Hall Architects and the contractor is Parrish McCall Construction. The school is the district’s first build since Oakleaf’s Discovery Oaks Elementary School in 2018.
The school falls in District 5, represented by Board Member Ashley Gilhousen. She felt the school was a welcome addition to the area.
“Who doesn’t love something that’s brand new? To walk into a facility and have it be top-notch, I think it’ll be a revitalization for the Green Cove Area,” Gilhousen said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a new school in this district.”
Across from the school’s site, developments under construction are scattered on C.R. 315. With the growth, the district has capacity concerns at the elementary school level.
“There are a lot of residents who live in this area who actually have to take their children to Fleming Island, so having a brand new facility in their backyard is an exciting opportunity,” she said.
Superintendent David Broskie told the crowd assembled under a tent the district had 13 elementary schools when he joined about 30 years ago. Spring Park will be the 28th.
He referred to the district’s facilities team as unsung heroes because they have to accommodate the county’s rapid growth.
“Clay County Schools are the largest employer in Clay County and kind of the focal point of the community, I always refer to it as the fabric that helps build our community,” he said.
Flanked by construction equipment, Broskie said parents have a choice of where to move, and Clay building state-of-the-art schools can influence that.
“Let’s go break some ground and ride some trucks,” Broskie said.
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