Alachua County planners recommend Option D maps as residents urge slow-down and transparency

At a Feb. 26 workshop of the Alachua County School Board, district staff and outside consultants presented an updated plan to “right-size” the district’s facilities amid declining enrollment and recommended that the board consider the consultant-referred Option D for elementary attendance zones, Option C for middle schools and Option D for high schools.

The administration’s presenters told the planning committee the district has about 6,600 empty seats across Alachua County Public Schools — roughly 2,666 at the elementary level, 1,981 at middle schools and 983 at high schools — and that one-year enrollment declines of 7,000 students would translate to an estimated $64 million in lost funding. Staff argued consolidations and K–8 conversions could reduce recurring operational costs (about $1.1 million per closed elementary, the presentation said) and free capital funds to repair aging buildings.

“Right sizing helps us align enrollment with building capacity, avoid both overcrowded and underused schools, and focus long-term investments where they matter most,” the district presenter said during the presentation, summarizing the planning team’s rationale for the recommended scenarios.

Why it matters: The…