DEBARY, Fla. — The city of DeBary delivered a cease and desist letter to the Volusia County school district, demanding an immediate halt to plans for building a new school on Spring Vista Drive.
“We issued the letter to be proactive as Volusia County Schools will be spending a lot of taxpayer money on design, engineering and other preconstruction costs only to realize they can’t build a school at the Spring Vista site,” said city manager Carmen Rosamonda.
City officials argued Thursday that the proposed site violates Florida law and is inconsistent with DeBary’s comprehensive plan. Rosamonda said the proposed K-8 school would negatively impact nearby residential neighborhoods.
In a strongly worded warning, city leaders said if the district attempts to move forward or break ground, they will escalate the dispute to the City Council and pursue legal action.
“School boards are not exempt from local government comprehensive plans,” said Rosamonda.
The school district, however, paints a different picture. Officials said DeBary needs additional educational infrastructure, citing a disproportionate number of schools compared to the area’s growing student population.
“It was purely because it had been a of a lack of options for sites that would accommodate a school,” said a representative with Building Tomorrow’s Schools.
The district did not comment on the cease and desist letter, stating it was due to pending litigation.
In January, the school board said many DeBary students attend Enterprise Elementary in neighboring Deltona, a campus built in 1960. The district says the aging school is beyond repair and cannot accommodate a rebuild, making DeBary the logical next location.
Rosamonda said an alternative plot two miles away on Buckley Drive does align with the city’s development plan.
In January, both parties participated in a four-hour public hearing. City officials ultimately decided to stop the project, and the school district did not appeal the decision, making it final.
Now, with the cease and desist letter delivered and the city poised for a legal showdown, the fate of the proposed school—and the future of education in DeBary—hangs in the balance.
Rosamonda said if the district continues with plans on the proposed site, he will take the matter to the City Council and recommend legal action.
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