Santa Rosa County schools Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick has no intention of planning to fail.

Therefore, he’s not going to fail to plan.

This month, Wyrosdick asked the Santa Rosa County Commission to meet with the School Board to discuss growth management issues. The commission agreed. A date has not been set for the meeting – which will be open to the public – but Wyrosdick hopes it will be set for late October or early November.

Population growth is one of the 16 metrics measured in the Studer Community Institute Dashboard. Those 16 metrics were developed with the University of West Florida to measure the economic, educational and social well-being and quality of life in the Pensacola metro area.

The Studer Community Institute believes that a community needs to grow in order to prosper. Unlike Escambia County, Santa Rosa County has continued to see meaningful growth since 2000.

In 2000, Santa Rosa had about 118,000 residents. In 2010, it had 152,000. Today, about 167,000 people live in the county.

“Growth is important for the school system, but it must be growth that we can accommodate with good plant planning and fiscal policies,” Wyrosdick said. “Our desire is for the (County Commission) and our board to develop a memo of understanding of common ground relative to growth and the School Board.”

The School Board has hired a certified planner to guide the process and develop quality prognostication tools.

“We hope our joint workshop will allow us to identify the best use of the data obtained from this study,” Wyrosdick said.

He recognizes the role good schools plays in promoting economic development.

“Obviously, a high-quality school system provides the environment for economic growth,” he said. “Our desire is to continue providing a quality education for our students so additional businesses will consider moving to Santa Rosa County.”

Managing that growth, however, is essential. The district currently has about 26,000 students. Wyrosdick expects to need six new schools in the coming years.

“The growth impacts us financially and organizationally,” he said. “First, we must be able to manage growth to provide appropriate school facilities. Growth that is not managed places a burden on a school system that simply is not manageable. The fiscal impact of even building one new school is daunting – none the less six.”

Joseph Harrell, assistant superintendent for administrative services, said he believes one primary area where the county can help the school district may be in zoning.

“The manner in which we approach growth must be driven by using good data and sound decision-making principles,” Harrell said. “This is why it is crucial for the two boards to meet, engage in open dialogue and discuss the differences and similarities that we will face when making decisions that will help mold the complexion of our county for years to come.”