Board authorizes staff to respond to unsolicited offers and begin negotiations for DeBary 'Buckley' parcel

The Volusia County School Board on Feb. 25 authorized district staff to respond to unsolicited offers and to commence negotiations regarding the district‑owned 22–24 acre Buckley Drive property in DeBary, a step short of approving any sale.

Board discussion followed public comment urging the district to keep the site for a future school. "I am opposed to item 17.01, the sale of the Buckley property," said Patricia Stevenson, a resident who urged improved committee communication between the board and municipalities.

District officials reviewed engineering, stormwater and traffic studies and estimated the on‑site remediation and off‑site improvements needed to make the Buckley parcel ready for a school. Ron Young, director of design and construction, told the board the Buckley site has a high water table and would require dewatering and muck removal across the site, then substantial backfill. He estimated preliminary off‑site improvements could range between $10.2 million and $15 million and described the need to raise the site above the road crown per Florida building code. Young characterized preliminary site‑preparation costs as on the order of tens of millions of dollars before any school construction could begin.

Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin told the board the district purchased the parcel from its property‑acquisition budget and said if the board does sell the site the proceeds would go back into that same property‑acquisition fund. "The money that was used was the money that we have set aside to purchase property. If this is sold, it's going straight back into the property purchasing budget," she said.

Board members discussed three main options: accept the unsolicited offer, reject it, or let it expire while continuing negotiations with the City of DeBary and exploring other sites. After discussion the board voted to authorize staff to respond to unsolicited offers received and to commence negotiations to sell the Buckley property. The vote passed with a majority; the transcript records one opposing vote.

Board members also asked staff to schedule a workshop for a districtwide overview of growth projections, currently held and surplus properties, and potential alternative sites so the board can weigh long‑term facility planning against the immediate offers for the Buckley parcel.

Why it matters: parents and residents have advocated for a DeBary school; district staff say the Buckley property requires significant remediation and may not meet Department of Education siting requirements without major expense. Authorizing staff to respond to offers does not approve a sale; any final sale would require a subsequent board action after appraisal, market study and formal surplus steps.

Next steps: staff will respond to the unsolicited offer and other offers received, perform any follow‑up market analysis requested by the board and return with options and a workshop schedule for board review before any sale is finalized.