Coral Springs axes plan to build school at park

The plan to bulldoze the Coral Springs Charter School and build it anew on the grounds of a city park have officially been scrapped, city officials say.

After more than 600 people at a community meeting protested plans to relocate the school to the site of Betti Stradling Park on Wiles Road, the city said it will look for an alternative location.

“We heard the community loud and clear,” said Deputy City Manager Susan Grant. “I can’t tell you whether another park is a possibility. We’re going to be stepping back and looking at other options.”

The city said it wanted a new site for the charter school because its current site — at Sample Road and University Drive — would be more valuable to the city as part of its future downtown.

The school also wanted a bigger building to fit more students, as well as access to athletic fields.

The city wanted the school to have a new, three-story building with enough space to boost its capacity from 1,645 students to 2,100. There is a waiting list of 2,200 students for the popular school, which is consistently rated an “A” and serves grades 6-12.

But angry residents opposed the plans and suggested instead the city purchase land, rather than build on park space near their homes.

Resident Ty Vassil said his group collected about 4,500 signatures.

“It just didn’t seem like a good idea from the very beginning, with park space being limited,” he said. “I’m glad they stepped back a little bit and [will] consider some other locations.

“If it prohibits residents from going to the parks, it’s not a good idea.”

A previous plan to move the school to Mullins Park or the parking garage of the art museum also were dropped.

Although residents were outraged, Vassil said the city’s initial proposal had an unintended benefit: Neighbors he never talked to are now waving, he said.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said.