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Even private schools see expansionBy LENNIE BENNETT
© St. Petersburg Times, Some of the larger private schools in Pinellas County are experiencing their own building boom, though at a much smaller level both in dollars and project scope. As in the public school system, expansion is less about increasing enrollment and more about enhancing existing programs. The two largest private high schools in the county are St. Petersburg Catholic High and Clearwater Catholic, each with enrollments of more than 600 students. Even at that number, they are smaller by 100 or so students than most public elementary schools. Between them, their additions and renovations totaled more than $13-million. "Our enrollment is up," said Mike Montroy, director of development at St. Petersburg Catholic. "But this is pretty much where we want to be as far as size." With 880 students in preschool through Grade 12, Shorecrest Preparatory is the largest private school in the county. Its plan for expansion is the most ambitious, with a cost of $10.5-million. The first phase is nearly complete: adding more than 50,000-square-feet to the campus along with new athletic fields. Head of school Mary Booker said school enrollment was close to capacity and will be capped. With its new $2.5-million expansion, Admiral Farragut Academy will have classes for pre-K through 12 for the first time in its history. It is the only boarding school in the county and traditionally was an ROTC school for grades 5-12, said its head, Bob Fine. The additional classrooms were not so much to accommodate more students in existing grades but for new lower grade levels, which have been added over several years. Admiral Farragut's next project, he said, will probably be renovating the historic main building, built in 1926 as a hotel and now used as dorms. Like most other private school officials, Fine said, "We will be capping enrollment. We don't want to get much bigger."
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