ARCADIA, Fla. – The School District of DeSoto County looks to be on track to fill teacher vacancies this school year.
But with nearly 20 elementary school spots open since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year and dwindling housing inventory, progress of reaching 100% capacity has halted.
But officials have proposed an idea that might get the wheels turning again. An affordable workforce housing proposal by One Stop Housing, who will manage the property, was presented to the School Board.
OSH is the largest property management company focused on non-subsidized workforce housing in Sarasota and Manatee counties, according to the proposal.
The nearly $13 million housing development plan would be placed on a six-acre parcel at 2590 Southwest County Road 760A.
OSH’s proposal is build 72 multi-family housing units on the school district-owned land.
The location is currently just a six-minute walk to Nokatee Elementary and a 12-minute drive to Desoto County High, Desoto Middle, West Elementary and Memorial Elementary, according to Google Maps.
According to Superintendent Bobby Bennett, 126 educators for SDDC currently live outside of DeSoto County.
To find the cause, an employee survey was completed by 71 district staff over the summer.
The workforce housing development rent prices were based on the survey results, according to the proposal.
Median wages; number of incomes, children and cars; desired bedrooms and amenities were among the data collected.
Of those, nearly half come from a dual income household, with majority in the $41,000 to $50,000 range.
Nearly two thirds of those surveyed have just one child with an income of at least $41,000, though nearly half desire three or more bedrooms.
According to a 2024 employee wage chart, the median salary range is $57,100. In DeSoto County, the starting base salary of a teacher is $50,000.
The land will be leased to the DeSoto County Education Foundation, who will then offer district staff and teachers first rights of the rental apartments, according to the proposal.
The proposal qualifies for property tax exemption for 10 years due to the Live Local Act. According to the 2023 law, the affordable housing development cannot offer rent that exceeds 90% of fair market value.
Amy Marrero, an Arcadia resident, said the proposal would be successful in more than just retaining teachers.
“A good teacher can change the life of a child,” Marrero said. “Next to their parents it’s the most influential person in a child’s life.”
Some residents are opposed to the housing plan, stating county priorities should be elsewhere.
Gill Coombes said SDDC is noted the large volume of road construction should be the focus of the city first.
Coombes proposed a different solution for affordable housing.
“How about cutting down the number of the churches that pay no revenue?” Coombes said in a Facebook post. “This county has almost as many churches as businesses, and they keep building bigger.”
Other residents call for vouchers instead of workforce housing developments so teachers can negotiate their own leases.
Superintendent Bennett said there is nothing to question.
“There’s no income restriction for our employees,” Bennett said. “That was the reason we want to do this.”
The workforce housing development would help middle class families who can afford housing but cannot qualify for traditional community apartments.
Bennett weighed in on concerns of road construction, stating the workforce housing location is out of Arcadia’s city limits and will be away from ongoing construction.
The superintendent also said the housing location will encourage residents to invest back into the Nokatee economy.
“I think it’ll be an economic boom,” Bennett said.
Once teachers are offered housing first, families of first responders, nurses and more will be next, Bennett said.
If approved, officials said construction is estimated to be complete by fall 2026. The next meeting to discuss the proposal again will be in November, Bennett said.
“The best thing we can do for our community is to have a better educational system, and we do that by having the best staff we can put in front of kids,” Bennett said.
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