St. Johns County (Fla.) district plans to construct two K-8 schools in the next two years

The St. Johns County (Fla.) district plans to construct two K-8 grade schools in the next two years. 

The two new K-8 schools will be built in the Beacon Lakes and River Town areas of the county, reports WJXT.

The schools are being built to alleviate crowding. 

The student population has grown 7% in the last year, and the district has added more than 13,000 students in the last 10 years.

The K-8 school in River Town will eventually transition into a middle school after another elementary school is built nearby.

The county expects to spend about $193 million on the three new schools.

Funds for construction come from a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2015.

Those schools, along with another K-8 already planned for the Shearwater neighborhood, are all expected to open in 2024.