Tag: New Tampa

Six New Tampa Public Schools Earns ‘A’ Grades For The Second Straight Year

School grades for the 2017-18 school year were released by the Florida Department of Education on June 27, and New Tampa’s schools continue to perform well.
Considering just the letter grades, all of the schools in New Tampa received the exact same grade as the previous year.

“The grades remained as they were,” says Anna Brown, Ph.D., the area superintendent for Hillsborough County Public Schools. Dr. Brown, who oversees all of New Tampa’s public schools, says, “We had no declines, but, within those grades, many schools actually increased their grade point, turning out an even stronger A.”
One such school was Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms, which has had an A rating every year since opening in 2001. Principal Terri Evans says this year’s scores may be the highest ever achieved at the school.

“We have 32 points more than we had last year,” says Evans. “We had a big jump in learning gains and in the bottom quartile, and we’re especially excited about that.”

School letter grades are based on the compilation of individual scores on statewide tests, called Florida Standards Assessments (FSAs), at each grade level.
Learning gains describe how much each individual student gained from one year’s test to the next, and the bottom quartile describes the students who scored the lowest on their FSAs at the school.

“I think a letter grade is a bit of an overgeneralization,” Evans continues, “but I also think that to maintain that A every year, we have to be a really great school in a lot of ways. I’m hopeful that it reflects all that we do — that we have that kind of a school where kids want to go to school and learn and families want to be involved.”

The area’s other A schools are Clark, Pride and Tampa Palms elementary schools, and Benito and Liberty middle schools.
Turner/Bartels K-8 School earned a B, while four schools earned a C: Heritage and Hunter’s Green (HGE) elementary schools, as well as both of our area’s high schools, Freedom and Wharton.

While the consistency in grades is encouraging for the schools that continue to earn As, those that earned Cs are once again disappointed.

“For as hard as we work and what a wonderful school we have,” says HGE principal Gaye Holt proudly, “the letter grade doesn’t show what everyone expects of us.”
Dr. Brown agrees. “School grades are created by the state, with their definition of one way to categorize schools,” she says. “When you walk on the campuses, the grade of C is not reflective of the quality of teaching in each classroom or the quality of the relationships we have with our students and families.”

Despite some high-profile challenges at Wharton High, Dr. Brown says she is encouraged that its letter grade did remain the same, and didn’t drop.
She says that all of the schools in New Tampa have many very high-achieving students and excellent teaching and that all of our area schools are positioned well to provide excellent service to the students of New Tampa.

“The bottom line is, this is how we’re measured,” says Dr. Brown, “so we need to dig in and make sure we’re meeting every student’s needs at their individual level.”

Parents of Hillsborough County public school students who want to view their child’s FSA scores, including FSA End of Course exams, can view them at https://testscores.sdhc.k12.fl.us.

The complete DOE report is online at FLDOE.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/.

New Tampa’s Traffic Issues Getting A Closer Look From City, Local Residents

Hunter’s Green resident Peter Mirones (left) listens as residents voice their concerns about bike and pedestrian safety in New Tampa, as well as about the reckless driving that Mirones and others say has contributed to some of our area’s traffic problems. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

After sitting in on a quickly organized town hall meeting called by a local resident, District 7 City of Tampa councilman Luis Viera says the next New Tampa Council (NTC) meeting could be one of its most informative, as well as most important.

On Wednesday, July 25, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Compton Park in Tampa Palms, the NTC will host a town hall with the City of Tampa’s Transportation Department, as well as with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

Viera says that the city will discuss the new timing for the traffic signals on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., including the troublesome intersection at Cross Creek Blvd., as well as upcoming transportation projects that will affect our area.

“It’s very important for New Tampa residents to come to this meeting,” Viera says. “There are a lot of exciting and pivotal things happening in our city with regards to mass transit and transportation and we need to be updated on all these developments. And, most importantly, New Tampa residents have to be engaged, because without engagement, we will not see the results we need for our area…and our area needs results now.”

April Ingram would agree.

The K-Bar Ranch (see separate story on pg. 6) resident isn’t exactly sure when her outrage over local traffic in New Tampa boiled over.
Was it during the 30 minutes or so she says it has sometimes taken her to turn right onto Cross Creek Blvd. from BBD on her way home from the University of South Florida?

Was it the first time a car did not yield to her as she tried to walk across Kinnan St. at a designated crosswalk, or was it the second?

Was it one of the many times she’s seen cars speeding by? Or the times she has been awakened at night by the sound of car tires squealing and screeching, the result of racing down Kinnan St.? Or, just how unsafe she feels in general when she’s biking with her son or walking her dog?

Whenever it was, Ingram hosted a meeting at the New Tampa Regional Library on July 2 to find out if she was alone…and she wasn’t.

Roughly a dozen local residents from Meadow Pointe, Cory Lake Isles and Hunter’s Green showed up — including Viera and Eric Denney, an aide to District 5 Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan, as well as two Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) corporals — to sound off on traffic issues they encounter on a daily basis.

“I am pleased and happy that anyone showed up,” said Ingram. “I think this was a good start.”

Those in attendance focused primarily on many of the same issues Ingram has, as well as bicycle and pedestrian safety.

A lot of the frustration was aimed at what they feel was a lack of response to their complaints from the Tampa Police Department (TPD). Most in attendance also argued that more of a police presence in New Tampa would help deter reckless drivers.

Peter Mirones, who lives in Hunter’s Green, said he has seen a parked TPD car dramatically alter the way people drive. But, when that police car leaves, “it’s Hell’s Bells.”

Mirones, an avid bicyclist, says New Tampa is not friendly to bikers, and others agreed. The bike trail on New Tampa Blvd. is in such disrepair it is practically unusable, he said.

Mirones organized a biking event over the weekend to memorialize West Meadows resident Pedro Aguerreberry, who was killed by a driver on June 24. The ride began at the entrance to Flatwoods Park and eventually made its way down New Tampa Blvd. near where Aguerreberry was struck. Mirones said some of the police officers even suggested that the bicyclists should ride in the road because the bike path was so bad.

Others at the July 2 meeting who enjoy but also fear biking in New Tampa suggested some kind of pedestrian bridge that crosses over BBD at Richmond Place Dr. would allow safer access into Flatwoods Park for those who live on the west side of BBD. While there is a light at Richmond Place Dr., the general consensus was that it is not safe for anyone crossing BBD.

Another suggestion: New Tampa should consider installing rectangular rapid flashing beacons, or RRFBs, similar to the ones at crosswalks on E. Fletcher Ave., at some of the New Tampa area’s trouble spots.

Viera encouraged everyone to attend next week’s NTC meeting to present some of the concerns and suggestions that were raised at the meeting.

“There were some good ideas presented tonight,” Viera said. “I think the momentum has really been growing in the City of Tampa the last 6-9 months toward pedestrian safety. Meetings like this can help.”

New Tampa traffic

Check Out The Revamped New Tampa Flagship Of Bay Breeze Car Wash!

General manager Terrance Ramoutar (left) and assistant manager José Ortiz greet you at the Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube flagship location off BBD Blvd. just north of I-75 in New Tampa.

In a day full of appointments and deadlines, basic vehicle maintenance can oftentimes fall into the ”I’ll do it later” box.

At the 14-year-old flagship location of Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube, located off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of I-75 (in North Palms Village), you can move that maintenance out of deferment and into the checked box.

Whether it’s an express or full-service car wash, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is going to get you in and out on the hop.

“The quality of the job a customer gets and the in and out time getting it done is something that sets us apart from other car washes,” VP of operations Scott Barone says.

Bay Breeze Car Wash is still expanding, too. The company plans to open a new Express Wash location in Wesley Chapel on SR 54 and Vandine Rd. by the end of this year.

Just how fast is Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube?

If it’s an oil change, Barone says most customers are in and out in 15 minutes once work begins on their car. Coming soon to the New Tampa flagship location, customers will be able to remain inside their vehicle when purchasing Express Car Washes, a new feature that will allow Express Wash customers to get in and out even quicker, as the location now has a much-improved Express Wash lane.

Express Wash lanes are offered at all seven Bay Breeze locations across the Tampa Bay area, including at the company’s other New Tampa location off BBD, in the Trout Creek area of New Tampa, just a little south of Wesley Chapel.

The Express Wash aims at getting customers in and out in less than three minutes. Now, there even are payment methods in place so that the customer never has to leave his or her vehicle. “We keep the express in express and this applies to both oil changes and washes,” Barone says. “You’re not getting in and out in 15 minutes (for an oil change) if you go to the dealership.”

For vehicle maintenance, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube can do more than just oil changes, too.

Most standard vehicle maintenance services are available, including: windshield wipers, air filter, transmission/coolant/engine flush, light bulb replacement and fuel injection. Check out BayBreezeCarWash.com for a full list of available services.

Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube uses Mobil 1 oil and in the month of June and July is offering a free car wash (valued at $20) with the purchase of a full synthetic oil change.

Upgrading & Expanding

The Express Wash area (photo, right) at the flagship location has reopened with a new Express Wash menu, complete with a dedicated lane and easier-to-negotiate new exit from the facility.

And, while the revamped Express Wash lane will not have a free vacuum area included with each wash, the flagship location’s renovation will include a towel dry for each Express Wash purchased, something Barone says is not offered at other Bay Breeze locations.

Along with the physical renovations, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube also is offering new membership options, ranging from as little as $20 per month to $50 per month. They hope to have a new Unlimited Full Service Membership available within the coming months as well. The $50 Ultimate Package includes a tire shine, application of a nano-polymer sealant and a triple foam polish. Both memberships include unlimited Express Washes.

Express Washes are done using the same spinning rollers that you remember as a kid; however, instead of the coarse bristled brushes, Bay Breeze uses 2nd Generation Envirosoft brushes, which are made from foam.

“It’s closed-cell foam technology where no particles get trapped,” Barone says. “It’s the best material on the market for the surface of your vehicle.”

Home-Grown Talent

New Tampa general manager Terrance Ramoutar and assistant manager José Ortiz have both come up through the ranks at Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube.

Most Bay Breeze locations have between six and 10 employees. The flagship station in New Tampa, however, has 60.

“We call this location (New Tampa) ‘Bay Breeze University’ because it’s where we identify talent,” Barone says. “Most (of our) management staff passes through this store at some point.”

Ramoutar has 15 years of experience in the industry and ran the car wash at the New Tampa location prior to Bay Breeze taking it over in 2004.

Ortiz worked in detailing at Stadium Toyota prior to coming over to Bay Breeze 17 months ago, and helped open the location on BBD in the Trout Creek area.

“José stood out,” Barone says. “We look for people with a hunger and desire to grow and from the beginning, José demonstrated that he was responsible, motivated and dedicated, and he rose to become a manager.”

Ortiz says he learned a lot about the company and managing it at the Trout Creek location.

“Multi-tasking, workload, employee relations, accommodating customers, the experience put me in touch with some of the problems you come in contact with at express locations,” Ortiz said. “When I transitioned over to full service, you’re dealing with many more employees and you have to learn to schedule weeks ahead and forecast things.”

Ramoutar was a greeter at the previous car wash and when the transition to Bay Breeze happened, he was elevated to supervisor and, eventually, to general manager.

“It takes a lot of worry away, knowing these guys, knowing their history, how they work,” Barone says. “Having them in key roles is important. Otherwise, it just doesn’t work.”

Barone himself has worked his way up, too. He was the GM of the Brandon location (2007-13) and has been Bay Breeze corporate’s VP of operations for the last five years.

All three have the same sentiments about working in a family atmosphere.

“In my experience, a family-owned company with a family atmosphere treats employees and customers the same way,” Ramoutar says. “It feels like a family here. That’s why we have people that have been coming to us for 15 years.”

Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube also has gift cards available.

The flagship New Tampa location of Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is located at 17501 N. Palms Village Pl. (next to Steak & Shake) and is open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. For more info, call (813) 615-1333.

The Trout Creek location is at 20306 Trout Creek Dr. and its car wash services are available seven days a week, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Lube services are available at this location Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. For more info, call (813) 973-0033 or visit BayBreezeCarWash.com.

Bay Breeze Car Wash Car Wash New Tampa

New Union Park Charter Academy Set To Open In August At Full Enrollment!

Union Park Charter Academy is Wesley Chapel’s first charter school and is expected to open fully enrolled, with 615 students in grades K through 6. (Photo: Giuliano Ferrara)

Wesley Chapel’s first charter school will open this fall. Demand for the school is clearly high, as enrollment already is full and there’s a waiting list at every grade level.

Union Park Charter Academy — called “UPCA” and pronounced “UP-kuh” — has 615 students scheduled to start school in kindergarten through 6th grade when it opens for the first time on August 13.

One thing you won’t find is classrooms of kids filling notebooks that transcribe lectures. In fact, the rooms at the school aren’t even called “classrooms.”

“The design of the building allows us to really meet the personal needs of individual students,” says the school’s founding principal, Tracy Ware. “The design of the building is in communities. What’s exciting is that there are so many options.”

Instead of traditional classrooms, each grade level meets in a common area with all of the teachers for that grade level. Students then move into one of the spaces available to them. That might be a learning lab for larger groups of students and a teacher. Or, it could be an area with flexible seating where students sit on creative furniture, such as “wobble boards” (no worries about kids leaning back and toppling over a four-legged chair), or stand at a high-top table.

There also are areas for small group projects, where students can go inside a glassed-in room and work without distraction, but still in complete view of the teacher.

The school is responsible for teaching to state standards and testing using statewide standardized tests.

“What sets us apart is not what we teach — it’s how,” explains Ware. “We have opportunities to use more technology and divide children up based on learning style, with four teachers teaching the same curriculum at the same time, but bringing it to children in different ways.”

UPCA is the newest school by Charter Schools USA, which currently manages 84 schools in seven states, serving more than 70,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Charter schools are public schools that operate under a contract — called a charter — with the local school district. Each charter school is independently governed by its own board of directors, and employees do not work for the local school district. However, Pasco County Schools is responsible for some oversight, ensuring that the school is in compliance with its charter and local, state and federal regulations.

Charter schools are required to be non-profit organizations.

As a charter school, it is a tuition-free option for parents looking for an alternative to the public school to which their child is assigned. This fall, Pasco County is expected to have 5,513 students enrolled in a total of 12 charter schools, with UPCA the only one located within Wesley Chapel, although a second charter school, Pinecrest Academy, is expected to open in 2019 at a site to be determined.

Ware was previously an education cluster manager responsible for leading and coaching principals and senior leadership teams using international standards she practiced while serving as a principal in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In Abu Dhabi, she opened a grades K-5 school, where she promoted clear collaborative relationships between staff members with various backgrounds from all over the world.

“Ms. Ware is the perfect fit for our new innovative school opening in Wesley Chapel,” said Charter Schools USA’s Michelle Thompson, the company’s regional director of education for Florida’s west coast. “We knew we needed someone who will approach educational solutions from an entirely new mindset as we open a brand-new school with such an open and collaborative environment.”

A Focus On Technology

In addition to the innovative building, another unique aspect of UPCA is its focus on technology.

“Technology gives us more opportunities to reach students,” says Ware, explaining that smart technology will be used throughout every learning community, including an iPad issued to every student in grade 3 and higher.

“Teachers can flip the classroom,” because of this technology, explains Ware. Instead of traditional homework — where Wade says that incorrect practices can actually hurt a student’s ability to learn something correctly — a teacher can use video or other means to introduce a lesson at home that will be experienced the next day at school.

In addition, Ware says she’s excited about the level of involvement she’s already seen from the parents of the students who plan to attend. Many students can walk or bike to school, she says, and more than 90 parents signed in to the school’s first Parent Teacher Co-Op meeting (similar to a PTA).

The school’s students have already voted to choose its mascot, which is the Comets.

“The things that really set this school apart are its design, our use of technology, parental support and community investment,” says Ware. “Students have an opportunity to be innovative and creative, and that’s what we’ll provide at Union Park.”

Ware says that although there is a waiting list, interested parents should not be discouraged from applying, because some students who are enrolled now may not attend due to relocations or other factors.

“Even if they’re on the waiting list,” Ware explains, “there’s a good chance they could be enrolled this fall.”

Union Park Charter Academy is under construction at 32775 Oldwoods Ave. in Wesley Chapel. For more information, stop by its temporary office at 3830 Turman Loop, #101, between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, call (813) 358-7306 or visit UnionParkAcademy.org.

Charter Academy New Tampa union park Wesley Chapel

New Tampa Weighs In On Traffic, Parks & More At New Tampa Council Meeting

To District 7 Tampa City councilman Luis Viera, there is nothing like the sight of a filled room for one of his town halls and New Tampa Council meetings.
This time, on May 2, it was the Jeri Zelinski Community Room at the New Tampa Regional Library, which was filled with local residents with questions about water, fire and emergency service, traffic and future developments.

But mostly, traffic.

Hillsborough’s countywide District 5 Commissioner Ken Hagan — who is running for the District 2 seat that represents all of New Tampa — was the guest at the May 2 New Tampa Council meeting. Viera actually had to recuse himself and leave the room halfway through the meeting when the discussion turned to an issue — the connection of Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd. (see stories on pages 1 & 4-5) about which he had a hearing the next day.

What did you miss?
Here’s some of the more interesting tidbits from the hour-long meeting:

Parks, Parks & More Parks
Comm. Hagan was asked about building a cricket field in the area, which turned into a conversation about the progress of a park on 50-plus acres of land in K-Bar Ranch. Hagan said the park will be paid for by the county — which has already set aside $5 million for the project, he added — but will be maintained and run by the City of Tampa in a rare city-county collaboration.

He says the park has the blessing of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, and the two parties are working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a non-binding agreement that lays out the terms, details and each party’s responsibilities as they pertain to the park.
As for the what amenities the park would offer, Hagan is unsure. He said, however, that sports fields will not be one of them. At one point, an athletic complex was envisioned, but according to the commissioner, “the city felt that was too intense.”

Another park, this one a public-private venture, is planned for the Branchton Park area, south and west of the intersection of Cross Creek Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd.

The county bought 10 acres of land for $1.17 million to complete its holdings in the Branchton Park area and open the way for development, as reported last November in the New Tampa Neighborhood News.

Hagan said he is hoping for a creative project. He also said that he expects there will be some commercial development on the corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd., with the developer funding a lot of the potential amenities, like a splash pad, dog park or zip line.
Hagan also said that he is excited about the The Village at Hunter’s Lake project across the street from Hunter’s Green, saying it will break ground in October. As for the New Tampa Cultural Center, he said that planned jewel will be opening in 2020.

“It will be a centerpiece for the community,’’ Hagan said.

The Zombie Road Returns?
Plans to build a 3-mile East-West Road (E-W Rd.) connecting New Tampa Blvd. and I-275 died in 2008, but it never fails to draw some conversation at Viera’s New Tampa Council and town hall meetings.

That’s probably because some local residents remain convinced it would actually help solve some of New Tampa’s current traffic woes. As originally proposed, the E-W Rd. would direct traffic through West Meadows and connect from where the Gateway Bridge ends at Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms to a new interchange on I-275. The roadway was expected to help decrease the delays at the I-75/S.R. 56, I-75/BBD, and I-275/Bearss Ave. interchanges.

As Hagan recalled, most of New Tampa was in favor of the road, but residents of West Meadows and Tampa Palms Areas 4 & 8, where the road was proposed to go through, banded together as a formidable opposition group.

There were other problems with the proposed road as well, from environmental concerns to whether or not to make it a toll road.
“I would still support taking a look at it and making another run at it,” said Hagan, whose parents lived in West Meadows at the time, but still supported the E-W Rd. “I can certainly see how that would relieve a significant amount of congestion.”

At the other end of the same road, Hagan also was asked if there are any plans to extend Cross Creek Blvd. to U.S. 301, but he said there are not.
“When you look at our unfunded list of projects, priority-wise that would be pretty far down the list,” he said.

The same goes for widening Morris Bridge Rd., north of Cross Creek Blvd. Although it is a constrained road and currently prohibited from being widened due to environmental concerns, with the extension of S.R. 56 and the continued development in K-Bar Ranch in that area, the two-lane, well-worn Morris Bridge Rd. has “future problem” written all over it.

Surprisingly, no one complained about the intersection of Cross Creek Blvd. and BBD, which continues to be a major nuisance for commuters in peak hours, although the City of Tampa is currently studying it.

A BBD Pedestrian Bridge?
The idea of a pedestrian bridge, or a foot bridge, crossing over BBD from Live Oak Preserve (or even the Pebble Creek area) was presented again by Sigrun Ragnarsdottir and, is it just us, or does it make more and more sense every time it is brought up?

Think of it — a bridge for students to be able to walk, ride a bike or otherwise cross over an extremely congested road to get safely to Wharton High. It would be safer than relying on traffic lights — and the common sense of drivers probably holding their cell phones in one hand — to cross BBD, and surely more parents would let their kids walk or bike to school, reducing the number of cars piling up on BBD for drop-off and pick up.

Yes, a pedestrian bridge recently collapsed in Miami, and the cost of construction probably kills any chance of making this happen. But, when you look at the other high schools in Hillsborough County, there are aren’t any others – even Chamberlain (Busch Blvd.), Plant (Dale Mabry), Sickles (Gunn Highway) — where the majority of its local students have to cross a busier and more dangerous road than BBD to get to and from school.

Police On The Radar?
As the population of New Tampa continues to grow, so does the need for a police substation in the area, according to a few local residents.
Viera said that, at the moment, however, a police substation is a “want…whether or not it’s a need is a point of distinction.” He added, however, that the idea of a police substation is on his radar.

“It’s something that, as we see more growth in this area , we are going to want to take a look at because right now, we’ve pretty much got police hanging out at 7-11, and that’s not the most amenable plan,” he said.

Hagan said a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) substation is being put at a new park in Carrollwood he is championing, and then it hit him — maybe it’s something that could be done at the proposed K-Bar Ranch park. “I hadn’t thought of that before,’’ he said.

The Elephant In The Room
You kind of got the feeling from the start that people were just killing time waiting for someone to bring up the whole Kinnan-Mansfield thing, and of course, it came up.
Short recap: Nothing has changed.
Hagan wants it connected, and said it was a travesty that the issue has dragged on this long. It appeared everyone in the room pretty much agreed.
Someone in attendance joked about sneaking in there and connecting them overnight, another said they could just borrow the equipment being used to widen BBD, and another suggested a boycott of Wiregrass Ranch businesses.
Judging by our stories on pages 1 and 4, however, it is a situation that hopefully is entering its endgame this summer.

New Tampa New Tampa Council traffic