Plans announced for new K-8 school on Polk side of Poinciana

March 08, 2005

Students on the Polk County side of Poinciana, many of whom are currently attending schools outside the 47,000-acre master-planned community, will soon have their own K-8 school a lot closer to home.

Builder-developer Avatar Properties Inc. has donated and conveyed 40 acres to the School Board of Polk County (SBPC) for the development of the new school off Lake Marion Drive. It is the third new school to be developed this year in the master-planned community located in northwest Osceola and northeast Polk counties.

SBPC officials expect to break ground for the new $21.8 million school sometime this summer and anticipate opening for the 2006-2007 school year.

The new Polk County school joins two new K-5 elementary schools currently under development on the Osceola County side of Poinciana. Both broke ground this January and are expected to open for classes in January 2006.

The as yet unnamed Polk County school will have 168,000 sq. ft. under roof including 61 classrooms, 1,100 student stations, a gym, library, cafeteria, music room, art room, skills development computer labs, playground and playing fields.

The new Polk County School was designed by BMK Architects of Sarasota and will be built by MM Parish of Winter Haven.

For more information on the new school, contact Bob Williams, assistant superintendent, facilities and operations, School Board of Polk County, at (863) 534-0620. For more information about Poinciana, contact Tony Iorio, vice president of Avatar Properties Inc. and Poinciana project manager, at (407) 933-5000.

###