ALVA, Fla. — Lee County School District approved $400 million to build three new schools, including a high school in Alva that has neighbors worried about how it will impact their community.
Watch as Lee County Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev hears from neighbors about the planned school:
Residents along Tuckahoe Road in Alva tell me they regularly discharge firearms on their properties and worry a new high school could disrupt their tight-knit community.
On Tuesday, the Lee County School Board approved funding for three schools: Cypress Lake Middle School, Hector Cafferata Elementary School, and a high school in Alva. The decision came despite concerns from both residents and board members about the location.
School board member Debbie Jordan raised concerns during the meeting about the safety implications.
"And again I'm going to say this gunshots, because people shoot their guns out there, and I've asked that question before what do we do? Do we continue to put our children on lockdown everytime we hear a sound?" Jordan asked.
After speaking with nearly a dozen neighbors off Tuckahoe Road, many confirmed that discharging firearms is a regular occurrence in the neighborhood.
Multiple residents questioned why a school intended for thousands of students from Lehigh Acres is being built in Alva.
The construction would require expanding utilities like water and sewage. Denise Eberle, who has lived in the area for 25 years, fears this is opening the door to larger development of their community.
"This is actually being built here for developers, it's to bring in sewer and water, at our expense, the tax payers," Eberle said.
A district spokesperson said the school is necessary to accommodate growing student population in eastern Lee County. Two potential sites have been examined, but the district says both will be developed long-term.
The district expects the high school to open by August 2027, with a middle school to be added by 2031.
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New schools planned in Alva, but neighbors argue they belong in Lehigh Acres
ALVA | Residents concerned over Lee County’s choice of new high school site
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