The county clears the charter school for occupancy. Staff and volunteers prepare for students' arrival.
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published August 26, 2003
SPRING HILL - A huge smile crossed Joe Gatti's face Monday morning as he received word that his new school had passed its final building inspection.
"9:47 a.m.," Gatti said, glancing at his watch. He had expected the news much later in the day. "So we can start uncrating and get stuff? That's great!"
Suddenly, the months of political struggles Gatti and co-founder Nevin Seifert had faced to launch Hernando County's first charter school seemed so minor. Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology now had the permit it needed to begin classes Wednesday.
"It's a go. There's nothing holding us back," said Kevin O'Connor, chairman of the school's board. "It was quite a feat. You figure from zero to completion in three weeks. We were light years ahead of any construction site I've been involved with."
The school has 30 days to complete its exterior renovations, which include a bus access from the parking lot to Lamson Avenue and an additional sidewalk. The work was ongoing Monday morning, and O'Connor figured it would be done this week.
Pat Reeman, whose daughter, Stephanie, is enrolled at the school, said she was pleased the school had wound its way through all the bureaucratic hoops. The Reeman family, who owns Summerdale Nursery in Hudson, spent the morning trimming hedges around the school at Lamson Avenue and Tillery Road and was on hand when the county inspector signed the paperwork.
"What we like so much is the dedication of the teachers," Reeman said. "They're so keen to get going. That's important."
The five-person teaching staff gathered inside the building for a meeting and, equally important, to put the finishing touches on the school. Without a certificate of use from the county, Gatti and Seifert had been unwilling to occupy the inside for anything more than construction.
That meant a lot of unpacking and decorating to be ready when the first students arrive. Already, the teachers and parents of the 110 students enrolled spent hours preparing the campus, completing such tasks as painting, mopping and just about everything that contractors did not need to do.
Math teacher Rick McGee peered into his classroom, where a saw sat on the still-uncarpeted floor.
"It's a little empty right now. We've got a lot of work to do between now and Wednesday," he said. "But we will get it done."
McGee praised the parents for backing the school, even in the face of opposition from official Hernando County. At points during the past year, the School Board and Planning and Zoning Commission threw up what could have become insurmountable blocks.
"It is obvious from the parental involvement that parents want this choice," said McGee, who resigned from Parrott Middle School to teach at Gulf Coast Academy. "Thank goodness they stood up and followed through. If they hadn't, this wouldn't have happened."
Science teacher Shawn Walker predicted success for the school and its students, even though it is opening two weeks after public schools began classes.
"We have the first nine weeks planned out. We have all the science equipment we need. We're doing a minimum of two science labs per week," he said.
Eighth-grader Kyle Willinsky, who was helping mop and wax the newly installed blue and white vinyl floors, welcomed the coming start of school. He said he volunteered his time getting the building ready because he wanted the new school to succeed.
"It should be a better education. Less students, more hands-on," the former Powell Middle School student said.
By 10:30 a.m., the staff had pulled the first set of chairs and tables from boxes. Everyone took a seat for the first on-site staff meeting. Gatti talked about issues ranging from student discipline to the first-day fire drill.
The excitement was palpable.
Technology lab assistant Anastacios Georgiou said he had his worries early on about whether the school would meet its School Board-imposed deadline to open.
"But you have to try sometimes, take some risks," Georgiou said. "I thought it was going to be a good opportunity. I put my faith in it."
McGee said he was confident that Gulf Coast Academy would make it. Still, he acknowledged, "I think we'll all breathe a sigh of relief at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning."
