Alachua school closings, Forgotten Front
Hello from Gainesville, Florida. It's Monday, April 20, and you're listening to StreetSmart. I'm Lillian Hamman. StreetSmart is a weekly podcast from Mainstreet Daily News where we cover local news that informs, engages, and inspires listeners like you. A big thanks to our sponsor, Forest Meadows, where compassion meets experience.
Lillian Hamman:Check out their beautiful gardens, funeral home, and tribute center. Cremations, funerals, and memorials all in one trusted place. With exceptional care and personal attention, Forest Meadows is here to honor every life with care. Here's the top headlines we're rounding up. Newberry City Commission incumbents, Rick Coleman, Mark Clark, and Monty Farnsworth won the elections on Tuesday.
Lillian Hamman:Local artist Jennifer Rossi defeated Archer Commission incumbent Kathy Penny, and Jackson Youmas will replace Dayna Williams on Alachua's dais. North Florida's drought continues with rain levels 19 inches below normal for March. The drought has led to a 400 acre wildfire raging in Alachua County near the Baloo Forest. The High Springs Police Department arrested a suspect named on the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives list Wednesday morning. The suspect was booked in the Alachua County Jail and is under investigation for a 2020 shooting in Kansas City, Missouri.
Lillian Hamman:The city of Alachua has gone from zero sushi restaurants to three in the last six months. Makitori Sushi and Yakitori recently opened on Main Street, and Nori Nite, a sushi, hibachi, and Laotian restaurant, is set to open across the street next month. Kumo Hibachi and Sushi will open in the Old Mi Apa off 441. Employee depositions for an investigation into operations at the Alachua County Animal Resources are expected to start soon. The county will also hire assistant shelter managers and a veterinarian in the next month.
Lillian Hamman:Plans are underway for building a new $30,000,000 shelter south of UF's main campus. State representative Yvonne
Lillian Hamman:Hayes Henson is calling for a public financial recovery plan because of four utility rate increases in the last four months. For more details about what rate increases are and how they're affecting Alachua County residents or for any other information on these stories, visit mainstreetdailynews.com. Thanks to our generous members. This news stays free for the whole community with no paywall.
Lillian Hamman:Thanks again for listening to StreetSmart. I'm Lillian Hamman, and it's been a couple weeks since the end of basketball season. But I have our education reporter, Nick Anschultz, in studio with me today, also a Gator alum. Nick, how you doing after the Gators loss a couple weeks ago?
Nick Anschultz:It was tough, Lillian. Not gonna lie, but the Gators did get some good news here recently though. Alex Condon coming back. So Oh, that's things might be looking bright.
Lillian Hamman:I'd say so. I'd say so. Yeah. He was, headed toward the NBA, wasn't he?
Nick Anschultz:Yeah. There were some some rumors that he might go into the draft, but, he's decided to come back and run it back for his senior year, so we'll see what happens.
Lillian Hamman:Yeah. It's always good to keep a close tabs on Gator Sports. And just a reminder, make sure to sign up for our new Gator Bites newsletter featuring Pat Dooley and Mike Dame. Lots of Gainesville sports experience under their belts, and they're covering all things UF Sports now. So don't miss out on that newsletter.
Lillian Hamman:Shifting from sports to education, Nick, there's been a lot of things happening since the school board of Alachua County's big rezoning vote last month. What's the latest on some of the cities and how they're dealing with some of the school closures and rezonings, and what's what's that looking like?
Nick Anschultz:Yeah, Lillian. There was actually a community meeting held on April 13 at Mabane Middle School to discuss the future of several, public schools in the city of Alachua, specifically Alachua and Irby Elementary and Mebane Middle School. Just to kind of refresh everybody's memory, last month, the school board of Alachua County approved revised rezoning maps for elementary, middle, and high school as part of a rightsizing plan to balance out enrollment across the district and reduce overcrowding and underenrollment at schools. Rightsizing, of course, was a key part of the district's Our Schools Future Ready initiative that launched in November 2025 to address key issues like enrollment and school capacity, transportation, and educational programs.
Lillian Hamman:And it's my understanding that under this rightsizing plan, Alachua Elementary is expected to close?
Nick Anschultz:Yeah. That's right. Alachua Elementary is estimated to close by the end of the twenty twenty seven, twenty twenty eight school year. Originally, Irby was also proposed for closure, but the board asked district staff to bring back additional recommendations to possibly keep the school open. At that April 13 meeting, district staff actually presented four different options for the Alachua area that will go before the school board for consideration.
Nick Anschultz:Three of those options would keep Irby as a pre k through five, while the fourth option would see all k eight students from the Alachua area attend one school, with Mebane expanding into a pre k eight school. Also under this option, both Alachua and Irby would close.
Lillian Hamman:When are district staffed expecting that Mebane would become a pre k through eight school?
Nick Anschultz:So the projected timeline is August 2028.
Lillian Hamman:And do you know when a final decision is expected?
Nick Anschultz:The district has previously said that the school board is expected to make a final decision on Irby and Mebane in May.
Lillian Hamman:Nick, have you kind of gotten any indication of how they might vote and which options they might choose in May?
Nick Anschultz:Yeah. It's highly expected that Alachua Elementary is for sure gonna close, you know, by that projected twenty twenty seven, twenty eight timeline, that I mentioned, end of the twenty twenty seven, twenty twenty eight school year. I think the big thing is just trying to figure out what's gonna happen with Irby Elementary. That's where, you know, the school board's gonna have to kinda make a decision, you know, do we wanna keep it as a, you know, pre k through five, or do we wanna close it as well in addition to Alachua and then have that one big Mabane pre k through eight school?
Lillian Hamman:Yeah. It definitely wasn't a decision that the school board was taking lightly, although some people felt like they were making it too quickly, and it it was a split vote. Right? It was a three to two decision to to do the whole rezoning in general?
Nick Anschultz:That's correct. Yeah. It was a three to two vote by the board, so there was definitely some some differences between the board on on on the whether to close schools, or keep them open, you know.
Lillian Hamman:Yeah. I know, city of Alachua sent a letter asking them to take more time, and the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners also, you know, had some presence at some of their meetings asking them to slow down and
Nick Anschultz:City of Gainesville as well too.
Lillian Hamman:City of Gainesville. Yep. So these closures definitely do, you know, impact these communities, and it'll be interesting to see what happens. We're going to take a quick break and hear from our sponsor, Forest Meadows, before we come back with the news forecast and events segment.
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Lillian Hamman:Now for this week's news forecast. Alachua will swear in new commissioner Jackson Youmas to seat three on the city commission during a regular meeting tonight. The commission will also vote on a new vice mayor. On Tuesday, the school board of Alachua County will have a regular meeting, and the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners will hold a joint meeting with the Hawthorne City Commission. The High Spring City Commission will meet on Thursday and discuss its CRA funding.
Lillian Hamman:The funding is currently being withheld by the state until the city submits its twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four audit.
Nick Anschultz:Now for our event segment covering upcoming family friendly events this weekend. A new Gainesville is hosting its second free to fly 5K run at San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park on Saturday. The trail race starts at 8AM and will raise money for the nonprofit that combats human trafficking. Also on Saturday, Sweetwater Wetlands Park is holding a guided walking tour with a ranger. Learn all about the area's history and preservation for $5.
Nick Anschultz:Interested in becoming a beekeeper? UFIFAS is hosting a series of workshops to get you started. Learn about honeybee colony losses, pest monitoring, and pest management. A $20 registration fee is required by Wednesday before workshops start on Saturday. High Springs is holding its pioneer days festival all weekend.
Nick Anschultz:The free event will feature craft and food vendors, live music, a kids corral, heritage village, and shootout. The High Springs Historical Society Museum will also be open during the festival.
Lillian Hamman:We and the rest of the Main Street team will be at the Matheson Museum tomorrow for our Forgotten Front event. We are hosting the event in celebration of America's two hundred and fiftieth semi quintessential birthday this year, and we're inviting some special guest speakers to teach us about revolutionary history in Florida. What it would have been like to be alive at that time, and what was going on in the war and the state and the country.
Nick Anschultz:The event will take place at the Matheson Museum tomorrow from 05:30 to 8PM. The event is free. We just ask that you register online so we know you're coming.
Lillian Hamman:We can't wait to see you there.
Nick Anschultz:Should be a good time.
Lillian Hamman:And that's all we've got for this week's StreetSmart podcast, brought to you by Mainstreet Daily News and made possible by our generous members. Another special thanks to Forest Meadows for believing in local news and sponsoring us. We'll be back next week with some special guests in studio you won't want to miss. Please share StreetSmart to us continue the work. Remember, you can click on the link in the show notes and find more free local news at mainstreetdailynews.com or pick up a print copy around Alachua County.
Lillian Hamman:Our theme music is Sunset Sonata by Gainesville ska band Now Leaving Space. This episode is a production of MARC Media.
