Board removes State Road 44 parcel from surplus list after staff identify renewed need

The Volusia County School Board voted Aug. 26 as part of the consent agenda to remove a parcel on State Road 44 from the district’s surplus list after staff said new residential development near Freedom Elementary and nearby access improvements made retaining the land prudent.
Why it matters: Reacquiring the parcel from the surplus list preserves district control over land that staff said could be needed for future school planning in a growth area of the county.
The item (listed as resolution 2025‑15 on the consent agenda, agenda item 13.06) drew a question from Board Member Donna Brosmer, who asked staff to explain how the property might be used. Planning coordinator Trish Smith told the board the parcel had been declared surplus roughly a decade ago; district staff said they discovered it while working with realtors and decided to remove it from surplus amid new development west/east of Blue Lake in the Freedom Elementary area.
Smith said the county had later extended Beresford Road through part of the parcel, leaving the district with two large portions that staff said provide useful options for future facilities. Chair Jamie Haynes added that the parcel is across from Daytona State College’s Deland campus and was originally planned for development before the recession halted prior plans.
Board action: The consent agenda, which included the resolution to remove the parcel from the surplus list, passed unanimously.
Next steps: Staff said the parcel is now on the district’s active property list and could be included in the next five‑year facilities plan when that plan is updated next year. No development decision was made at the meeting.