Lee County Schools study finds expansions cheaper short-term but new builds more durable; sewage, site and traffic complicate choices

District staff told the Lee County Board of Education that expansion of several elementary schools would cost substantially less up front than a new build but would have a shorter service life and carry hidden site and utility costs.

Stacy Eggers, a district staff presenter on the feasibility study, told the board that an expansion to add roughly 300 seats at a site such as Deep River Elementary is estimated at about $25 million, while a purpose-built elementary sized for roughly 850 students was estimated at about $56 million when the district last sought needs-based funding.

"An expansion is only going to have about a 15 to 20 year life cycle, whereas a new build is going to be between 30 to 50 years," Eggers said, noting that renovated spaces often require bringing older portions of a building up to current code when they are connected to new construction.

Why it matters: district enrollment growth is concentrated in and around Sanford city…