- April 16, 2026
The Flagler County School Board is expected to vote at its April 28 meeting on whether to pursue an unsolicited letter of interest to purchase a portion of the school district’s property at 1 Corporate Drive in Palm Coast.
The 7.11-acre parcel on the corner of Palm Coast Parkway and Corporate Drive is within a high visibility commercial corridor zoned for institutional medical, retail and professional office use. In 2014 the School Board declared the property surplus inventory and unnecessary for educational purposes. In the 2025 five-year Educational Plant Survey, the board recommended discontinuing the property’s use for ancillary purposes.
Ryan Companies sent the letter of interest to discuss a purchase of a 4-acre portion of the property for a proposed purchase price of $1.9 million. Lisa Divina, the school district’s coordinator of planning and intergovernmental relations, told the board at its April 14 agenda workshop that the real estate development company would build a 40-bed rehabilitation facility on the property.
After receiving the letter, the district requested two appraisals for the entire 7.11-acre property. Huffington and Associates’ appraisal was $6,015,000. Cooksey and Associates’ appraisal was $4,460,000.
The board seems likely to vote against consideration of the sale. Board member Will Furry said if the board agrees to sell the property, he would prefer to sell the entire parcel to receive maximum value. Lauren Ramirez said she would be fine to see if someone is interested in purchasing the whole parcel.
But the unsolicited interest did bring up a wide-ranging discussion about what the board would do with the funds if it sold this property or any of the district’s other properties that are unsuitable for building a new school.
By statute, any funds from such a sale would have to be used for capital projects. If they keep the property it might be used as a headquarters in the future, Furry said. Ramirez floated building a youth center for the northern part of the county.
Superintendent LaShakia Moore noted that the letter of interest was the second the district received in the past year for a portion of the property. The other, she said, was with the intention to build a Waffle House.
Proceeds from a sale could help expedite projects on the five-year capital plan or could provide funds for a new pool in partnership with the city of Palm Coast. Moore said the district will soom be bringing forward to the board a Memorandum of Understanding from the city for a partnership to build a new pool that the Volusia Flagler Family YMCA would operate.
Board member Janie Ruddy said she would like to see what deferred projects could be escalated with a sale.
“I think we should plan so we’re better prepared,” she said.
While the board seems poised to reject consideration of selling a portion of the Corp. One property, a decision on putting a property up for bid could be looming.
“We currently partner on two pools right now,” Moore said. “With the MOU, we go in together with the city to build this pool. If it’s yes, it’s a pool students can use. If no, the board has to decide what’s next for the dying pool we have [at the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club], and when the Frieda Zamba pool [at the Palm Coast Aquatics Center] is no longer available. Sell to expedite the five-year plan, use for a pool or for emergencies that come up.”
Moore said the district will provide information on the Board Docs for the April 28 afternoon workshop that will include a link to all of the district’s properties and their possible uses, and the updated capital plan and deferred projects.
