Hillsborough County breaks ground on new school 1 day after announcing job cuts
APOLLO BEACH, Fla. - A new school is coming to the Apollo Beach area.
"One thing we see in the south part of our county it continues to explode with newcomers," Hillsborough County Superintendent Addison Davis explained.
The district broke ground Friday on the as-yet-unnamed facility near Waterset.
"A 410,000-square-foot facility that will focus on putting in place a STEM-IB initiative where students can have state-of-the-art opportunities to interact with math and science," Davis pledged.
But the multi-million-dollar building isn’t being built in a vacuum. The ground-breaking took place just one day after the district announced it would have to cut more than a thousand jobs, mostly teaching and para-professional positions.
"The community stepped up two years ago provided Hillsborough County with a tax referendum that’s all about being able to create new buildings and expanding our schools. This is why we have the funding, it’s categorical," he said.
When it's finished the new school will host 1,800 students, relieving pressure from three other middle schools at least seven nearby elementary schools. It is expected to open in the summer of 2022.
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