For immediate release - October 4, 2005

Lake County Government, schools and municipalities to meet Oct. 10 to discuss school concurrency initiative

TAVARES — The Lake County Board of County Commissioners is hosting a public meeting Monday, Oct. 10, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Lake Receptions, located at 4425 Highway 19A, Mount Dora, to discuss Lake County’s inclusion in the state’s school concurrency pilot program. Invited to the meeting are the Lake County School Board and government leaders from every municipality in the County.

In September, the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced Lake County, along with Hillsborough, Indian River, Sarasota, St. Johns and Walton counties, would be pilot communities for the state’s new school concurrency initiative. The school concurrency initiative is a result of Senate Bill 360. Signed into law by Gov. Jeb Bush on June 24, the bill overhauls the state’s growth management laws. Commonly referred to as “pay-as-you-grow” plan, the bill dedicates new funding and creates policies that help to ensure school needs of communities are met.

“DCA is going to brief all of Lake County’s local governments on the pilot program, the scope of work, schedule of deliverables and the grant funds,” said Amye King, Assistant Director of the Department of Growth Management.

The scope of work for the pilot program includes the Lake County Board of County Commissioners and the School Board jointly coordinating with municipalities to develop an updated public schools interlocal agreement, an educational facility element in the Lake County Comprehensive Plan, and amendments to the comprehensive plan’s capital improvement element incorporating public school capital facilities program. As part of the program, the Board of County Commissioners and School Board will share a $200,000 grant.

Throughout Florida, a comprehensive plan is the foundation for local planning as it acts as an outline of the community's vision and priorities. Lake County is currently in the process of rewriting its comprehensive plan. Drafted portions of the new comprehensive plan, titled Planning Horizon 2025, are currently being reviewed by the Lake County Local Planning Agency.

Within each state-required comprehensive plan, elements must be addressed. A comprehensive plan's element is similar to a chapter in a novel. Each element addresses one specific item such as transportation and capital improvements. Previously, the education element of a comprehensive plan was considered optional. The new legislation makes the education element mandatory, requiring public schools and local governments across the state to come together to plan for the next 20 years of school facility needs.

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Contact information:
Christopher Patton
Communications Coordinator
Office: (352) 343-9609; Cell: (352) 455-0445
cpatton@co.lake.fl.us