BID helps launch downtown elementary school
The Tampa (Fla.) Downtown Partnership, a special services district, was searching for ways to enhance the city’s downtown for workers with school-age children. Studies had shown that most downtown workers had a 30-minute commute, making it difficult for them to be involved in their children’s schools without taking time off work. The partnership hoped to eliminate that disadvantage of working downtown by bringing an elementary school to its district.
In 1997, the partnership joined with the Hillsborough County School District to create the Downtown Partnership Elementary School. The plan called for grades K-2 to be offered in fall 1998 and the addition of one grade a year until an elementary and a middle school are complete. (A public high school already exists near downtown.) Any child with a parent working downtown is eligible to attend the public school.
Space was found in the education wing of the First Presbyterian Church; in lieu of rent, the school district provided renovations. Funding came from a one-time state legislative appropriation of $300,000, an additional $50,000 from Easter Seals and ongoing administrative, instructional and equipment funds from Hillsborough County School District.
Local businesses supported the school with in-kind donations. SouthTrust Bank and Intermedia donated computers to the school; the Florida Aquarium placed fish tanks in every classroom; and Uniform City donated uniforms. “The school gives parents who work downtown the ability to participate more fully in the lives of their children,” says Partnership Director Bethany Leytham. “From a business community standpoint, the school may lead to reduced [job] turnover, as parents who work downtown do not want to quit if their children are happy in the school.”
Approximately 40 children enrolled in grades K-2 in fall 1998. This year, more than 100 children are enrolled in grades K-3. Easter Seals provides pre-K and before- and after-school care.
Ongoing operating costs for the public school are funded primarily by the school district, which provides administrative costs, staff and building maintenance. The partnership pays for parking, marketing and special events. The organization is planning a campaign to raise money for further renovation and site expansion.
For its part in the downtown elementary school, the partnership has been awarded a 1999 Public-Private Partnership Award by the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships, Washington, D.C.