FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Yarbrough, Lee County Parks & Recreation,
             (239) 461-7410

NEW SCHOOLS WITHIN COUNTY PARK
FIRST OF ITS KIND IN LEE

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 1, 2003) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners today paved the way for locating - for the first time ever - a local school within a county park.

The joint use is the result of the county's and school district's effort to work more closely together in co-locating facilities.

The County Commission donated 18.98 acres in Veterans Park in Lehigh Acres to the School Board, to be used for an elementary school and a middle school. In return for the acreage, the School District will build a gymnasium and community center as part of the school campus that will be used jointly by the schools and county. In addition, the gymnasium will be built as a hurricane shelter.

Veterans Park is located at 55 Homestead Road in Lehigh Acres.

The county and school district have worked closely for many years to accommodate use of their separate facilities. But this is the first time major facilities are being co-located to efficiently use joint facilities.

Last April, Lee County became one of five test sites across the state selected to establish a collaborative planning process that coordinates school planning with land use planning. One of the goals was to develop ways to accomplish collocation and shared use of schools and civic facilities, particularly parks and community facilities.

Since then, the county also has purchased a 62-acre community park site in South Fort Myers - of which 15 acres will be developed as a future school site. That site is located across Summerlin Road from Lexington Country Club at 1673 Bass Road.

The county also is working on an agreement with the school district to build Northwest Regional Library in Cape Coral next to Mariner High School and a new middle school now under construction.

"By working together we can save taxpayers money and provide recreational/educational facilities that bring communities together," said John Yarbrough, county Parks & Recreation Director.