Environmentally-focused STEM school coming to Lake County

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Lake County Schools wants to build a new school that the school board says will be unlike any other school in the state and will help with all the growth happening in the southern portion of the county.

The district has set a budget of $33 million for the K-8 school set for the Four Corners area of the county.

“Them opening a new opportunity school for children is going to better the neighborhood entirely,” parent Victor Colon said.

The board said the school will be an E-STEM school and will be the first of its kind in Florida. 

It will infuse environmental studies with a STEM curriculum.

“We know that there is a huge demand for skilled workers in the area of STEM - science, technology engineering and math - and a growing interest in environmental studies,” Lake County Schools Communications Officer Sherri Owens said. “So, we’re giving our students a leg up so they can learn about these things even as early as kindergarten.”

The district said the school will be built with an environmental focus in mind. 

Its color scheme will be earth tones. There will be lots of natural lighting and the school will sit along Wishbone Lake.

“[There will be a] lot of opportunities for outdoor learning, outdoor dining, an outdoor tree-lined walking trail,” Owens said. “Just all kinds of opportunities to bring the environment inside to help our students learn.”

The school board hopes the new school will open in 2021.