Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Schools

School's revival to please alums, Head Start kids

By JON WILSON
Published April 18, 2007

More than $3-million in federal grant money will go toward restoring Jordan Elementary School, an educational icon that many older residents hold close to their hearts.

Officials estimate that a year from now, the renovated building at 2390 Ninth Ave. S will be open to Head Start classes, currently held in wings behind the 1925 main building.

"We're at the stage where we've started to wrap up the environmental assessment and remediation. We getting ready to prepare for the drawings," said Goliath Davis, deputy mayor for Midtown.

City officials met early this week to continue firming up plans.

"We're taking it back to its original structure. The wings that you see on the east and west ends have been additions. We're looking at taking those off and reconstructing the archways," Davis said.

The segregation era school closed in 1971 after educating two generations of African-American youngsters, many of whom became city leaders. Some longtime residents fondly remember early principal Marie Pierce ringing a brass school bell to bring tardy youngsters sprinting from home over sandy paths.

Today, 162 3- and 4-year-olds attend the Jordan Park Head Start Center. Two giant banyan trees help shade a play area. On their branches, ancient, carved initials remain visible 20 feet high.

The city recently acquired the site from the Pinellas County School Board for a token payment. The renovation project won seven grants. One was an economic development initiative grant for $1.1-million; others worth about $2-million came from Community Block Development funds.

"(The grantors) like what we're doing," said Paul Stellrecht, an economic development specialist.

[Last modified April 18, 2007, 06:52:56]