There have been a lot of questions posed by citizens on the City's involvement in the Atlantic High School Relocation.  In order to ensure Delray Beach residents receive accurate and current information about the relocation, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions.  Immediately below, you can download a copy of the Press Release with a message from Mayor David Schmidt, the AHS Site Plan and a recent Editorial from the Palm Beach Post.

Atlantic High School Relocation Press Release (107k)
Atlantic High School Relocation Site Plan (530k)
Atlantic High School Editorial from PB Post (137k)
 

Frequently Asked Questions

The School District of Palm Beach County's Five Year Work Plan states that one of its goals is to, "Modernize the oldest schools on a systematic schedule to guarantee safe, up-to-date facilities that meet diverse educational program needs."  It also states that the work plan continues to support a greater emphasis on building new schools versus expanding existing schools that require expensive core space additions.

Atlantic High School was built in 1949 and is showing its age. The school is overcrowded, the site floods in heavy rains, and the building is in disrepair. When the School District unveiled its first Five Year Work Plan, the City of Delray Beach along with community members, rallied behind Atlantic High School and lobbied the School Board to make sure that Atlantic High School was one of the top five high schools to be modernized.  AHS was fourth on the modernization list.

During the past several years, the School District had an opportunity to see the challenges and difficulties it takes to modernize an "urban" school while also staging its student population on site during the reconstruction.  The City of Delray Beach was already in the process of looking for land to bank for future school sites, when it was suggested that we look for centrally located land for the high school.  This would help the City reach its goal of providing a new high school that would open its doors with a diverse population that would mirror the diverse population of its community, and understanding that the relocation of the high school would be fiscally responsible and less disruptive to the learning environment of the students.

Delray Beach has a history of being proactive when it comes to educating our children, and education has always been a priority for the City Commission.  For the last 10 years, the City has had a strong education board that has provided policy advice and has been a strong advocate for Delray's schools and school children.  Over the past decade, the City has spent millions of dollars to partner with the School Board on various projects.  The past two major projects were the acquisition and development of Orchard View Park and Pine Grove Park.

The moving of Atlantic High School continues this tradition of partnership between the City and the Palm Beach County School Board because, as the City Manager has pointed out, the school district is in the business of building schools, while the City is in the business of building communities.

The need for a second middle school has been added to the Palm Beach County School District's 10-year plan, and it is noted that the Seacrest site is the most likely location.  Currently, there are not enough seats at Carver Middle School for every Delray Beach student of middle school age.  Due to this lack of space, many children are bused to schools outside of our community.  By building a middle school on the Seacrest site, more of Delray Beach's children will be able to attend school in their home city.  Another item worth noting: School Board members have indicated their support for a south county middle school of the arts.  If this type of school were built on the Seacrest site, it would be an excellent opportunity for the re-use of the auditorium already located on the property. 

There has been an increased demand for soccer facilities within our community.  The City and School Board are planning a joint effort to make 15 acres available on the Seacrest site for such a facility.  Because it will be a joint effort, many facilities would be shared, such as parking, which subsequently reduces the cost to both parties.  The soccer complex is slated for completion in 2006 or 2007.

False.

As discussed in a recent editorial in The Palm Beach Post (Saturday, July 20, 2002), the moving of Atlantic High School is financially beneficial for both the City and the Palm Beach County School Board.  According to figures compiled by Delray Beach City Manager David Harden, the City will spend slightly less that $4 million on the transaction for the high school property at Atlantic and Congress Avenues.  This figure includes expenses for traffic improvements, canal culverts and up to $100,000 in soundproofing at Temple Sinai if members believe they need it.  Savings on the soccer complex because of the swap, will leave the City spending a net amount of only about $100,000.  According to the Post's editorial "…it's a bargain."

If Atlantic High were to be rebuilt on the current site, only two of the current buildings would remain -- the rest of the buildings are in such disrepair, they must be demolished.  This would mean students would be forced into portable classrooms because there would be no other classroom space during the reconstruction.  Not only would students and teachers have to deal with the noise of construction surrounding them, but it would also mean that many students would spend most of their high school careers in portable classrooms.

Another issue is the cost to rebuild the school on the current site: It would cost approximately $4 million more to rebuild on the Seacrest site than it will to build a new school on the Atlantic Avenue site.  This increase in cost is due to the fact that students would have to be staged onsite, in portable classrooms, during the reconstruction.

The school will have its own entrance at an intersection with a signal on the Atlantic Avenue side of the campus.  Also, new turn lanes will be provided along Atlantic Avenue, which will help separate school traffic from other traffic. It is important to note that the high school starts at 7:30 a.m., and peak morning traffic is from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. This means that there is only a half hour where the peak hours coincide with each other.

For students who will walk to school, the City of Delray Beach is investigating many options to create a safe environment along the pedestrian paths to the school.

The design for the new campus is definitely state-of-the-art.  The site has public areas such as the auditorium, media center and gymnasium located next to the parking lot.  By placing these amenities at the front of the physical plant, the school is well designed to serve the entire Delray Beach community, not just the students.  Also, by placing these areas at the front of the campus, it prohibits access to other areas and creates a safer environment for the students.

One feature that makes the campus state-of-the-art are the two- and three-story academic clusters that will house classrooms and laboratory areas.  The floor plans of the clusters are uniquely designed for maximum flexibility and adaptability as programs change over time. The labs that require more wall space are located in the interior core of the building along with the elevators and bathrooms. The classrooms are located along the exterior walls of the buildings, which allow for operable windows and views to the outside.  Because there are three separate academic buildings, each building can functionally stand alone: One building may house the International Baccalaureate program or a career academy, thus, creating a school within a school.

Another benefit to the cluster concept is that academic clusters can be setup in different ways for programming purposes: Each grade can be housed in a cluster or neighborhood pod, or the cluster can be broken up and arranged by subjects such as math, reading, social studies, or foreign language pods.