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Students, Parents, Staff Imagine The Future

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 27, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Imagine School at Land O' Lakes is barely more than a month old, but it is a school in transition.

Pasco County's newest charter school didn't have a permanent location in place when it came time to open in August, so it has set up temporary headquarters in the Ballantrae Professional Center off State Road 54, about three miles west of U.S. 41.

The business park has rows of roomy new buildings, and Imagine converted seven of them into classroom suites.

"For a temporary facility, it's not too bad," Principal John Selover said.

All told, the school operates out of 22,000 square feet that include administrative offices, 22 classrooms and a multipurpose room.

Imagine, which serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade, is one of five charter schools in Pasco County. Charter schools are public schools, but they are operated by private groups or individuals who contract with the school board.

Unlike many charter schools that operate independently, Imagine is part of an organization that operates more than 70 charter schools in 12 states and the District of Columbia. The group has 18 schools in Florida, including one in St. Petersburg.

School Proves To Be A Good Draw

Imagine School at Land O' Lakes is looking for a permanent location for next year, but in the meantime the teachers, students and parents are making the best of things at the professional center, Selover said.

The school, with about 400 students, has proved to be a good draw for parents looking for an alternative educational setting for their children.

One of those parents is Margarida Wainraich of Land O' Lakes, who said she was looking for more consistency for her two daughters. The girls had attended Sanders Memorial Elementary, which has had three principals in the past few years and is slated to be torn down and rebuilt.

Wainraich served as the Sanders PTA president last year, but liked what she learned about Imagine after responding to an advertisement for the charter school.

"Every time you open a new school, the teachers are real excited," Wainraich said. "They have this energy and sense of excitement."

Wainraich started volunteering at Imagine almost immediately and has been hired as the school's registrar.

Selover is clearly pleased with the parental involvement. He said some parents are asking about a high school.

That's not in the equation right now, but Imagine does plan to add seventh grade next year and eighth grade the year after that.

Wainraich said she likes the idea that her daughters will be able to bypass the traditional middle school and attend Imagine through eighth grade. Danielle, 10, is in fifth grade, and Hope, 8, is in third grade.

"Middle school is such a tough time for kids," Wainraich said.

The school uses a curriculum called Project Child, developed by the Institute for School Innovation in Tallahassee. The method features clusters of students and teachers working together over a three-year period.

Imagine 'Forced To Be Lean'

The school's multipurpose room includes the media center and the lunch room.

Imagine contracted with the Pasco County School District for the lunches, which are prepared at Rushe Middle School and delivered to the charter school.

Parents donated the books in the media center, saving the school plenty of dollars there.

These are tough budget times everywhere and perhaps even more so for charter schools, which receive state tax dollars, but no local tax dollars.

"We are forced to be lean," Selover said.

The school operates two buses, each of which can transport 71 students, but providing that service creates additional costs for the school.

"Diesel fuel is certainly eating away at our budget," Selover said.

The opening of the school hasn't been completely smooth. The school and the Pasco County School District clashed over enrollment figures. Imagine's application to open a charter school said there would be 276 students, but the school enrolled a lot more.

The school also ran into problems getting approval for what was to have been a permanent facility on Morgan Road near U.S. 41. After the permitting process bogged down, the school decided to look elsewhere for a permanent location.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

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