Lorenzo Walker's update was long in coming, I've taken courses there and the building needed a serious update, especially in the computer electronics wing. And besides that, they did need to add a permanent home for LWTHS while they were at it, so that's a justifiable 26 million. Calusa can also be justified, because it isn't a good idea (IMO) to house students in a portable unless you absolutely have to, and with hurricane season coming, who knows what will or will not happen. I can't proffer an explanation for Immokalee however as I have no personal knowledge of what that facility is going to be used for other than the obvious (IE specifically what types of courses etc.) If its a duplicate of the LWIT facility in Naples however, I would think that it would be just a slight bit absurd given the current status of the district's finances.

Palmetto Elementary School is within about 5 miles of Sabal Palm Elementary School, there are 5 elementary schools within a small diameter.3 of them right off Everglades Blvd. here in the Estates area. I guess 4 weren't enough? I hope they can justify opening Palmetto soooo close to Sabal and the other elementary schools...

they should double, even triple the size of the Vo Tech Center. When are we going to realize ( ADMIT TO OURSELVES ) that many of our graduates are not going to go to college. When they graduate what are these graduates equipped to do- take standardized tests using # 2 pencils is about it! Last week I had a plumber spend 10 minutes telling me there was nothing wrong with my plumbing ( probably your septic tank, buddy) cost for his visit was $ 105! Called the septic guy ( aka Honey Digger) and it cost me $250 to get it cleaned out even though it didn't need a cleaning. Problem was my wife overloaded the washing machine and things kind of got backed up but eventually fixed themselves -GO FIGURE! Lots of well paying jobs out there that do not require a college education.

Duhhhhh...perm residents are LEAVING! The purpose of temp schools buildings is to relieve overcrowding on a TEMPORARY basis. NOT so you can justify spending millions of dollars to build schools that will be unoccupied.

Where in Gawd-DUHs' name did these people running the show come from?

All of Collier County Public Schools should be voc-tech centers. Leave the college prep to the private and church schools. That's the way it is anyway.

Corn- You obviously have not set foot in a classroom.
Your comment is beyond uninformed - its mean spirited and insulting to those who work hard to prepare students for college.

Lorenzo Walker echnical High School prepares students for the future providing both College Prep Skills and a technical certifications. Now doesn't that make sense? Electives are spent in a certification area. Those kids will never have to make minimum wage and also can work their way through college if they choose to do so. LWTHS' curriculum is amazing. You should check it out.

http://lwit.edu/LWTHS/AboutUs/History/

Read it... stop being ignorant.

Gator's comments are very true. These construction projects have been in the pipeline for years. Most of what is being built is needed at this time.

Another thing that everyone has to remember is that the school system needs to comply with the class size amendment which allows only so many students in any given class at any given time. In order to accomplish that they need additional classrooms so that all the classes stay under the limit allowed by the amendment.

I do believe that you will find that this is the end of the construction plans for some time to come. I know that they have put most of the future plans on hold until further notice.

Specifically check out the classes offered to students of all grades at Lorenzo Walker Technical High School.

http://www.lwit.edu/LWTHS/

...All Bright Futures Pre-requisites as well as admissions requirements for major universities. Like I said...their curriculum makes a lot of sense: College Prep classes and Technical Certification. Prepare for the future!!!

IF you are right swfl-ff, then the school board can rescind the special 2 mil capital improvement levy saving Collier taxpayers over $160,000,000 per year.

Any bets?

What about all those new cement football fields under construction?

Isn't it interesting that CCPS must meet the classroom size amendment of the state, but the state does not have to meet its financial commitment to funding CCPS as promised? Legislators' promises aren't worth the air used to blow the words forth from their mouths. But think of all the money for Kraft Construction Incorporated shareholders and the subcontractors who provide air-conditioning, electrical, surveillance, video and audio equipment, and let's not forget Neil's books!

Let's not spend _all_ the capital funds!

Save some for switching to operational funds when the referendum passes. Even though the funds are not earning much interest these days, no need to blow it _all_. Tired of 2%? Where's a person supposed to invest his funds these days? Get a list of companies supplying the administration's new orders. Is GCA Services Group a safe place to invest? Do ladder investments with them all.

But, oh no, don't invest in people. I suppose that the operational fund will have to cover the cement football fields' cost of watering fake grass. The insurance industry will have to cover the physical injuries sustained by users.

#9 Posted by GatorHater07. Agreed Gator. Many were already on the drawing board when our local economy headed south. Except now what? If the student population is below X %, shut the school down and mothball it? I live within a mile of the new Palmetto Elementary School at Everglades Blvd. and 10th Street SE. It is about 99% done, just wondering what they are going to do with it now? I question why they put it so close to Sabal Palm Elementary about 6 miles due north.
Just wondering what happens now with these schools that might possibly not be used, BUT yet they spent millions on to finish?