BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Bradford County Schools Superintendent Will Hartley received a favorable response from Starke City commissioners after proposing that the city deed over the land now hosting its public works yard in exchange for the school district giving the city the 11-acre site of the former Southside Elementary School.
Hartley proposed the land swap during the city commission’s May 6 meeting.
Starke Chief Administrative Officer Jimmy Crosby told council members that the school district would move its bus barn to the former city yard at the corner of Orange and Weldon Streets to make room for a new high school that would include the current bus barn site.
“And it would give us a lot more property to expand our utility department and utility system and use there,” he said of the proposed deal.
Crosby added that if the city wanted to pursue the deal, it would pass a joint resolution with the school board codifying the two parties’ intent to go through with it.
“We wouldn’t do it physically and actually until they know they’re going to build a new high school,” added the city official. “The reason they need to know we want to is so they can put it in the plans when they get approval from the state on how to fund the various aspects of their project.”
More safety for pedestrians
City Commissioner Bob Milner said the proposal would enhance pedestrian safety at the intersections of Washington, Orange, and Weldon streets. He said the current situation results in heavy public works trucks and other vehicles mixing with students on foot.
“I like the idea of getting all of our big city trucks out of there and out of an active school zone,” he said, “and obviously, Will, if that helps you all with your bus barn, I think that’s even a better idea.”
Hartley told commissioners that the district could alternatively move its bus barn to the former Southside school site.
“If we did that,” the superintendent added, “we would have to tear a lot of buildings down to pave a lot of stuff.”
He also said the district could move the bus barn to the former Hampton Elementary, “but that would cost us astronomically.”
Old Starke Elementary might be demolished
The superintendent stated that if the land swap goes through, the district would utilize the parking lot behind the Rainbow Center for bus parking. He also said his long-term plan is to demolish the old Starke Elementary School on Washington Street for public parking.
The superintendent informed commissioners that the district would know by July 2026 whether the new high school would be funded.
“We were officially approved by the Department of Education Facilities Committee in March,” he said. “I have to go in front of a new committee which involves them, some other superintendents from around the state, and some other legislators on June 19th.”
Hartley said that during the June 19 meeting, the committee would rank the three school districts vying for funding during the 2026 session: Bradford, Hardee, and Lafayette.
“When I go to that meeting,” Hartley told commissioners, “I need to tell them where we’re moving the bus barn. So, the goal would be that if the city decides that this swap is a good deal for the city, that resolution would be in place before that June 19th meeting.”
Commissioner Janice Mortimer stated that, from her perspective, the city would benefit under the proposal.
“I just can’t see why it would not be an advantage for us,” she told her colleagues. “Three acres (for) 11 acres.”
Hartley stated that, of the three options for relocating the bus barn, the school board had agreed that the land swap is the best alternative. He added that the school district attorney had already begun drafting the joint resolution for both governing boards to pass.
