TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

School Should Open With 500 Students

ADVERTISEMENT

By LENORA LAKE, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 30, 2008

TEMPLE CREST - A new public elementary school at a site that once was home to a Christian school and church probably will have about 500 students when it opens in August.

Elementary School "M" at 8406 N. 46th St. will be at about 89 percent of its full functional capacity of 580, said Steve Ayers, the Hillsborough County School District's director of pupil administrative services.

Most of the projected 514 students will come from Pizzo, Cahoon and Forest Hills elementary schools, Ayers said last week. It probably will affect attendance boundaries at Shaw and Witter elementary schools, as well, he said.

However, parents will have to wait a little longer for information on the attendance area for the school at the site of the former Temple Heights Christian School and Baptist Church.

On Thursday, Ayers presented a plan to district Superintendent MaryEllen Elia and her senior staff, hoping to move forward to a community meeting regarding the proposed attendance area.

However, that top leadership group wanted to see adjustments to some of the plans his office presented, Ayers said.

"They were asking to give Shaw and Witter significant relief" from crowding, he said.

Ayers will return with revisions to another superintendent's senior staff meeting, but no date was set, he said.

Ayers said he hopes to have the meeting on the new school's proposed attendance area in February.

The school district is trying to fast-track the construction project. In December, the district hired an architectural firm, which is adapting working models.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851 or llake@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT