NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Parents at Read-Pattillo Elementary School are raising concerns about the future of a replacement school that was included in Volusia County’s voter-approved half-cent sales tax plan.
The school, which first opened in 1958, was slated for a new building after voters approved the sales tax in 2014 to help fund school construction and renovations across the district.
But in the district’s current five-year planning documents, the Read-Pattillo project is listed as “TBD,” leaving families uncertain about when the school could be replaced.
Parent Danielle Sandhagen said the building is showing its age, despite smaller repairs and maintenance over the years.
“They’ve done little patchworks here and there. You can see the siding and the facade have been painted, but roofs are still leaking, there’s still issues with our air conditioning units,” Sandhagen said.
For some families, the school’s future is also personal. Sandhagen said Read-Pattillo has served generations of families in the community, including teachers who attended the school themselves before returning to teach.
“We’ve had teachers that have retired after 30-something years. They went to school here, their children and grandchildren went to school here, and we want to keep it that way,” she said.
Read-Pattillo is one of only two schools in Volusia County that have not received a new building or a major renovation under the sales tax plan, according to the report.
With the tax scheduled to expire in 2031, parents are concerned about how much time remains to move the project forward.
“Now, mind you, the half-cent tax expires in 2031, so that’s within five years of this December. So if we’re not on the five-year plan, where are we?” Sandhagen said.
In a message to families, the Volusia County School District said no decision has been made to close Read-Pattillo. The district also clarified that listing the project as “TBD” does not mean it has been removed from the plan.
The district said key factors are still under review and that it remains committed to projects approved by voters. Any proposed changes would have to be presented publicly and approved by the School Board.
The district plans to meet with the school developer to review the Read-Pattillo project before providing an update to families at a community meeting.
So far, the district said, no recommendation to change the current plan has been presented to the School Board.
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