- The school district spends $100,000 annually on maintaining the vacant building.
- Neighbors and city leaders are exploring potential uses, such as a community center or recreational space.
- A public workshop is scheduled for January 27th to discuss the property’s future.
- WATCH THE VIDEO to see what the community says about it
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Historic Sopchoppy High School and land was originally donated by the City of Sopchoppy to Wakulla County Schools decades ago.
Since the building is now vacant and not being used for classes, Superintendent Rick Myhre says they’d like to transfer ownership back to the city for better use.
“Right now, we’re having to expend funds to maintain it and to do general upkeep when there’s no students there,” Myhre explained.
Superintendent Myhre noted that maintaining the building costs the district about $100,000 annually—money that could be redirected to other needs.
“That money is not going to our kids, so it just makes sense that it needs to go into a direction that’s more suited as a community center,” he added.
For residents of Sopchoppy, the historic school represents an opportunity. Some say the space could provide much-needed resources and activities for the area.
“We could really do a lot of positive things with it,” said Robert Seidler, a Sopchoppy resident for nearly 40 years.
Seidler emphasized that repurposing the space could benefit the community and even attract more visitors to the area.
“There’s things like parks, pools, and other facilities that could have entrance fees. But it could also bring more people here to enjoy the area and add more resources—both recreational and commercial,” Seidler said.
Lara Edwards, a member of the Sopchoppy City Council, says the city is considering taking ownership of the property.
“We’ll go a few months and set up a citizen’s advisory council. We’re going to talk about it, discuss the feasibility, and figure out what our citizens would like to see if the city acquires this property,” Edwards explained.
Edwards also acknowledged concerns about future development on the property if the city doesn’t take ownership.
“Whoever takes on the property would have to go through a comprehensive plan, amendments, and zoning changes, which would all come before the council. So there is a lot of control there,” she added.
The city of Sopchoppy is holding a workshop on January 27th at 6 p.m. to gather community input. Stay tuned to ABC27 as we continue to follow this story.
