Residents, environmental advocates press Lee County school board over proposed Alva school site

Dozens of Alva-area residents urged the Lee County School Board on July 29 to move a planned East Zone school away from a proposed site at Joel Boulevard and Tuckahoe, saying the Joel site would harm protected wildlife, worsen long bus rides and require costly utility work.

The issue drew sustained public comment and board discussion, culminating in the board directing staff to place the matter on a workshop for Aug. 5 with the intention of bringing it to the action agenda that night if outstanding questions are resolved.

The disagreement centers on two district-owned parcels: the Joel-and-David site (referred to repeatedly in public comment) and a parcel in Alva near Tuckahoe and Joel. Speakers said the Joel-and-David site already has water, sewer and electric infrastructure and would reduce student busing and related costs; they argued the Alva site would require new utilities and road upgrades and would sit between Hickey Creek Mitigation and the Alva Scrub Preserve, harming a wildlife corridor.

“Killing that wildlife corridor and then putting water and sewer in that area is just going to invite…