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Board reviews district properties, asks staff to pursue appraisal on 5-acre parcel
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Summary
At a workshop the Highlands County School Board identified several vacant parcels and leases — including a small lot near RCMA, a 5-acre site on State Road 621 and the HEC building held in trust — and agreed staff should pursue an appraisal and review lease insurance before any sale or transfer.
The Highlands County School Board met in workshop to review district-owned real estate and directed staff to pursue a limited next step on one parcel.
Miss Tinajero, who led the property review, told the board that the district’s property list omitted a building commonly called the HEC building because county records show the Heartland Education Consortium (HEC) listed first and Highlands County School Board positioned as trustee. Miss Nash, the board attorney, confirmed HEC is composed of multiple districts and that Highlands holds the property as trustee for the consortium. She said any sale would be subject to the consortium agreement and that sale proceeds would be apportioned among member districts per that agreement.
The review highlighted a handful of vacant parcels the district owns. Miss Tinajero identified a small triangular lot behind the Sebring High School agricultural barn (listed in appraiser records at roughly 0.48 acres), a vacant lot between the RCMA parking area and Brantley properties in Lake Placid, and a five-acre parcel on State Road 621 that the county’s Road & Bridge department has used for equipment and has expressed interest in acquiring. Board members said Road & Bridge’s status as a government entity could make a direct transfer possible, but Miss Nash reminded the board that any transfer would still involve multiple steps, including county review.
Board members repeatedly cautioned that assessed values shown on the property appraiser’s website are not market values. Staff estimated the district paid roughly $55,000 for the lot adjacent to RCMA and suggested an appraisal for the five-acre site would likely cost “a couple hundred dollars.” Miss Tinajero said the 5-acre parcel has been difficult to appraise but recommended starting with an appraisal to inform future decisions.
Board members also reviewed an existing lease with RCMA, described in the district file as charging $1 per year with five-year renewal terms. Several members asked whether the district had required and maintained proof of insurance from the lessee; staff located a certificate of insurance in the meeting materials and agreed to follow up to confirm coverage and renewal dates.
On the academy property (referred to in discussion as the AYCL/academy site), staff said annual utility and maintenance costs are modest — electric under $500 year to date and lawn/custodial costs under $2,000 annually — but that the deed contains a reverter clause stating the property could revert to the city of Sebring if it ceases to be used for public educational purposes. Miss Nash advised the board that continued district staff use of the site likely qualifies as a public educational purpose, which could affect future disposition decisions.
The board emphasized this was a workshop and therefore could not take final action. Members directed staff to obtain an appraisal on the five-acre parcel, verify lease and insurance records for the RCMA agreement, and return with documentation clarifying HEC’s governing agreement and any restrictions on disposing of the HEC building.
The workshop then moved to personnel allocations.
