Brevard staff recommend new separate day school at Kennedy; impact-fee strategy could avoid new borrowing

Brevard County Public Schools staff recommended on Oct. 28 that the district proceed with a new separate day school on the Kennedy Middle School campus rather than renovate the existing Gardendale facility.

Chief facilities staff presented the results of a recent review conducted after the closure of alternative learning centers opened the possibility of using Gardendale’s full campus. The staff review found that upgrading a 60‑year‑old Gardendale building to the standard needed for the separate day school would require substantial work, much of it ineligible for impact-fee funding because it would be counted as renovation rather than new student stations.

‘‘When you start to look at all the things that you need to do in a 60‑year‑old building … the cost starts to really creep up,’’ staff said. The contractor developing the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) estimates a roughly 14‑month construction schedule for a new Kennedy building. Staff reported a construction GMP target of about $20,000,000 and a total project estimate of about $22,000,000 once furniture, fixtures, equipment and technology are included.

Staff told the board the district originally planned for short‑term financing needs of $10–$12 million, but updated analysis and the possibility of applying some South Area impact fees (the Impact Fee Advisory Committee met Oct. 20 and recommended reallocation) make it likely the district can proceed without issuing new long‑term debt. Staff also reported Gardendale property‑appraiser market value at about $6.6 million and warned contractor pricing and subcontractor availability could change (and escalate) if the project is delayed.

Board members widely supported the Kennedy site recommendation, citing improved travel times for students from the district’s southern neighborhoods and the benefits of a new facility for the district’s highest‑need students. Staff said the GMP for Kennedy will be presented to the board at its Nov. 18 meeting and that a construction program could meet an opening target near Jan. 2027 if the schedule holds.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript and identified in the speaker list.