After two delays, Independence Academy said “good-bye” to its campus of small portable buildings off of Alexander Street near Interstate 4, and “hello” to a large, state-of-the-art campus at U.S. Highway 92 and McIntosh Road March 16.
Independence Academy, formerly Shiloh Charter School, was initially set to move to its new building in Dover at the beginning of this school year, but permitting issues pushed back the move. It was rescheduled for December. Unusually heavy autumn rains delayed construction even further.
The new campus is expected to accommodate more than 300 additional students by the 2016-2017 school year.
For principal Shane Clark, the safety features at the new campus are key. At the old campus, there were many openings through which strangers could enter the school grounds. This is no longer the case.
“The number one thing about the new campus is the security we have here,” Clark said. “There’s no possibility of some random person walking into our building.”
There is only one door through which visitors may enter, and they first have to buzz in to notify the office of their arrival. After passing through the first door, their only option is to go through the school’s main office. There is no direct access to the interior of the school. There are also security cameras placed throughout the school, so no activity goes unnoticed.
Another advantage that Clark is pleased with is the abundance of state-of-the-art educational technology, from interactive projectors, to document cameras, to media-ready laptops.
“Just across the board, everything is upgraded — the newest stuff out there,” Clark said.
And there is plenty of room to grow at the new campus. A second building in the back is not being used right now, but will open up next school year to provide 13 more classrooms.
In additional to more space, the students will have a broader range of classes next year and beyond. Independence Academy will start offering Spanish, art and computer media classes for its elementary students, for example.
Before the move, there was some concern about potential traffic issues. There are no buses to Independence Academy, so all students are dropped off by parents or their carpool groups. But Clark said there have not been any major problems so far, thanks to the help of county offices that worked with the school to design the most effective traffic flow patterns.
“We’re able to get all of our cars off 92, so they’re not adding to any backup on 92,” he said.
The Principal’s Office
The 2014-2015 school year is Clark’s first as principal at Independence Academy. Clark has 20 years of experience in education.
Previously, he has worked as an assistant principal at Bell Creek Academy, in Riverview, and an assistant principal for student affairs at King High School, in Tampa.
Like Bell Creek Academy, Independence Academy is a public charter school. It is governed by its own board of directors, instead of the district’s school board.
“We have a little more freedom as far as choosing curriculum and teaching methods,” Clark said.
But the hospitality of Independence Academy in particular was what helped Clark feel right at home from day one.
“It’s very much a family atmosphere,” he said. “The students, parents and teachers all together — we just work well together.”
By the Numbers
3: Number of classrooms dedicated to the arts
4: Number of computer labs
38: Current number of teachers (up to 12 additional teachers could be hired next year)
40: Total number of classrooms
600: Approximate current number of students
950: Total number of students the new campus can accommodate
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.