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District buys new school site

UNIVERSITY AREA It could ease overcrowding at three schools.

By Amber Mobley Times Staff Writer
Published November 2, 2007

The district finalized the purchase of Temple Heights Christian School, 8406 N 46th St. on Tuesday.

"It's going to be a stretch, but we hope to open in August 2008," said Cathy Valdes, the district's chief facilities officer.

The campus would hold up to 600 students and ease crowding in at least two nearby elementary schools - Shaw and Witter.

Two appraisals have valued the property at $7-million or more, but the district has negotiated a purchase price of $4-million, which the School Board approved on Aug. 21.

The campus, which includes a gym, kitchen and auditorium, will need extensive work to be brought up to state codes. Administrators are in the process of determining what work needs to be done and which children from surrounding schools will attend there.

Students at as many as four elementary schools could be affected, said Steve Ayers, director of pupil administrative services for the district.

Shaw and Pizzo, at 120 and 121 percent capacity respectively, are sure to have students moved. At 106 percent capacity, Witter may see crowding relief, too.

Officials, said Ayers, are thinking about "dominoing boundaries," which, for example, would mean shifting a group of students from school A to school B and then moving students from school B into school C.

That domino effect also may affect nearby Cahoon Magnet School, which is at 66 percent capacity.

Ayers said all plans are preliminary.

The district's reassignment of nearly 300 students from Shaw to a school site at the Museum of Science and Industry this school year originally took Shaw from 152 percent capacity to 115 percent. A new school year has pushed capacity to 120 percent, according to the most recent data.

The MOSI Partnership School, another quick turnaround for the district, took only a few weeks to complete.

The School Board is scheduled to rename the MOSI Partnership School, as well as a new middle school slated to open in North Tampa in 2008, at a meeting Tuesday at 3 p.m. at 901 E Kennedy Blvd.

Amber Mobley can be reached at amobley@sptimes.com or 813 269-5311.

Note: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect time for the School Board meeting.

[Last modified November 2, 2007, 11:16:54]