Board weighs due diligence on 50-acre Panther Run site for future high school

District staff briefed the board on May 4 about a potential 50-acre site in the Wellness Way corridor (the "Panther Run" property) that is being considered for a future high school. The presentation included preliminary site assessments, two appraisals with divergent valuations, and a consultant's "test-fit" showing how a high school prototype might be placed on the land.

Kelly (presenter for the site briefing) said the district received two appraisals: one for $125,000 and another for $625,000, and that she does not fully trust either estimate because of differing methodologies. She said the developer gave a mid-range offer roughly between those numbers and that staff ordered a limited geotechnical assessment based on the developer's existing borings. "One of the things that concerns them is that pond area that's in the middle," Kelly said, noting the pond could be movable but that moving it would add cost and regulatory steps. The site sits on the county boundary and will require additional tests (deeper borings, ground-penetrating radar and sand skink studies), habitat reviews for threatened and endangered species, and infrastructure planning.

Board members discussed price, buildable acreage (50 acres includes the pond; usable land less), capacity planning (initial design for about 1,800 students, expandable to 2,200), and comparative options the county and private partners are pursuing. Staff presented options: obtain two additional appraisals and drop the highest/lowest, pursue a due-diligence contract with an escape clause, or continue evaluating other candidate sites that county staff and developers are pursuing.

Why it matters: Identifying and securing a high-school site is a capital priority with large fiscal implications for the district. Board members repeatedly emphasized the need for rigorous geotechnical and environmental due diligence before committing funds.

Next steps: Staff recommended additional appraisals, in-depth geotechnical borings and ecological surveys during a defined due-diligence period; board members requested reports on sinkhole risk-indicating tests and cost estimates tied to pond relocation prior to contract execution.