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Polk School Board reviews Lake Marion parcel as potential future high‑school site; soils and county road realignment cited
Summary
Staff presented soils and traffic analysis for Lake Marion site being considered for land banking as a future high school; most acreage is buildable according to the district’s review and Polk County is planning to realign Lake Marion Creek Drive with a signalized intersection.
Polk County Schools staff briefed the board on Sept. 9 about a proposed land purchase — the Lake Marion site — intended for long‑term district development and possible future high school construction.
Why it matters: Land banking helps districts secure sites for growth and avoid higher future land costs; the district’s preliminary technical review addressed soils suitability and local traffic infrastructure.
Joshua McLemore said the soils on most of the tract are suitable for development and the areas of concern coincide with wetlands: "By and large, they are conducive for development. Those areas that were outlined in red... are as it relates to a rating if you were relying on septic and drainage. However, all state laws now require that school campuses and facilities ... have to be on centralized water and wastewater." McLemore added that the county’s roads director has begun design work to realign Lake Marion Creek Drive so it will tie into a county roadway with a signalized intersection.
Board members asked whether a comprehensive high school would fit on the property and about the share of wetlands. McLemore said a desktop analysis indicated Davenport High School‑scale components could be placed on the site but engineers would need to complete final designs. Board Member Sharpless noted that roughly 13% of acreage was Samsula Muck (wetland) and that about 87% looked buildable on the soils maps; McLemore confirmed that assessment.
District staff said the site could be used for varied future purposes if a full high school does not ultimately fit, including a K–8, a 6–12, or a facilities yard with storage and equipment. The land‑banking item was informational only and was not scheduled for a vote Sept. 9.
Ending note: Staff said they will continue to answer board questions and provide updated engineering and traffic analyses as they are completed; board members praised district outreach and public forums connected to the project.
