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Martin County board votes to launch statutory study into South Creek Middle options amid urgent facility needs
Summary
The board approved beginning the legally required study and public‑hearing process to evaluate options for South Creek Middle School after hearing that the school’s per‑pupil costs and deferred maintenance place the district under financial strain; no closure decision was made tonight.
Chair Pervis said the Martin County Board of Education voted to start the steps required by law to study options for South Creek Middle School after Superintendent Dr. White described mounting infrastructure failures and unusually high operating costs.
Dr. White told the board that South Creek Middle has ‘‘an abundance of needs’’ and presented line‑item repair estimates: parking repaving $750,000; window replacement $680,000; two inoperable HVAC units $40,000; ceiling system work $500,000; drainage/sinkhole repair $150,000; and roof sealing $400,000. He said the district’s repair‑only total for South Creek would be about $2.5 million and that total operational and infrastructure needs for 2627 would be roughly $4,964,249.
‘‘Our per‑pupil expenditure for South Creek Middle School is by far the highest in the district,’’ Dr. White said, giving a per‑student figure of about $16,973, and contrasting it with Martin County High School’s roughly $9,668 per student.
Board discussion focused on options to reduce costs while protecting student welfare. Dr. White outlined several possibilities: consolidating South Creek Middle into South Creek Elementary to form a k‑8 campus, moving middle‑grade students to Riverside Middle, or pursuing other operational changes to reduce duplicated overhead. He emphasized the decision was not a closure vote.
Dr. White recommended the board ‘‘move forward with the decision to operate under a balanced budget’’ and begin the statutory steps required before any consolidation, including a thorough study and a public hearing. He said the study would examine student welfare, geographic impacts, enrollment projections, expected hardships and costs of alternatives.
After questions from board members—who raised timing, census projections and school‑choice effects—Chair Pervis called for a motion. As announced by the chair, the motion to begin the study was made by Mr. Scott and seconded by Mr. Baker; members responded to a voice roll call and the motion carried.
The board did not vote to close or consolidate the school on the spot. Dr. White said the study and subsequent public hearings will provide the data and community feedback the board needs to make any later decision.
Next steps: the board authorized staff to begin the study and to schedule the public hearing required by state law; the timeline and scope of that study will be set by the administration and reported to the board for review.
