- September 11, 2024
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The Flagler County School Board has agreed to lease the historic county courthouse for a minimum of two years beginning next month. The 100-year-old building will provide space for various programs while freeing up 10 classrooms for other uses.
The board was presented with three lease options at its workshop on Aug. 20. After agreeing on a preference, the board unanimously approved the lease agreement on the consent agenda at its meeting that night.
The board agreed to pay the county a monthly rent of $9,378.54 with the first payment due Sept. 3. The school district will also pay for renovations to meet its needs. In addition, the district will be responsible for janitorial, groundskeeping services and utilities. The county will be responsible for all other maintenance and services.
Those services have an annual cost of $112,542 which is equal to the amount the district will be paying annually in rent. So, in essence, the district will only be paying the county for upkeep of the building.
The lease will be in effect through Aug. 31, 2026 with a 4% cost of living adjustment added to the rent each year. After the initial two-year term, the district will have the option to lease the historic courthouse for two additional four-year terms. The district will also have the option of purchasing the building any time after the initial two years. The purchase price will be the average between the prices determined by an appraiser hired by the district and one hired by the county.
Dave Freeman, the district’s chief of operations said by leasing the 50,000-square-foot building, the district will save money on renting portable classrooms, which cost $1,700 to $1,800 a month. Superintendent LaShakia Moore said without the courthouse, the Rise Up alternative school would need to rent two portables immediately.
In addition to Rise Up, the courthouse will also provide space for TRAIL, a vocational program for 18-22-year-olds with disabilities; Step Up, a life skills program for adults with special needs; plus space for iflagler virtual school, the district’s federal programs and storage for the Flagler County Education Foundation’s Stuff Bus.
“We need the space. This opens up 10 classrooms,” board member Cheryl Massaro said.
The other lease options that the board did not select had higher maintenance costs including one option which would have made the district responsible for all maintenance, services and insurance costs in place of paying rent. The county estimated that cost would be over $17,000 a month.
Under the approved agreement, the district will be paying for janitorial services, which the county estimated at a cost of $91,572 a year, but Freeman said the district will be able to provide for less money. The county’s estimate for groundskeeping at $7,200 a year.
