DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — The next six years will likely herald a number of changes for students living in the Freeport and South Walton areas.
Districts officials think they will need to build two new schools, add wings to existing structures and convert two schools into new facilities in order to accommodate expected population growth.
Each month, 90 new homes hit the market, according to a presentation given to the Walton County School Board last month.
“The new buyers tend to be younger families with school-age children,” the 20-slide presentation noted.
Superintendent Carlene Anderson said the recommendations were based on information staff gathered from developers and historical growth data.
“This is all predictions,” she said. “The Board hasn’t made any decisions.”
Any approved changes would be funded through the district’s capital budget, not the operating one used predominantly to pay for staff salaries.
The list of recommendations called for the construction of a new elementary school on property the district is in the process of purchasing near the Bay County line. Once it was constructed, students currently attending Bay Elementary School could be moved and it would be transformed into a Pre-K center.
Emerald Coast Middle School might also see additional classrooms if necessary and South Walton High School might get a 9th grade academy.
At the same time, the district is also looking at building a new fourth-eighth grade school on donated property in Hammock Bay. If that happens, the district would still likely add six to eight more classrooms to Freeport Elementary School and change Freeport Middle School into a centralized exceptional student education facility.