Charter School Seeks to Lease St. Pete Beach Police Station

Supporters, volunteers and board members of Academy by the Sea believe the former St. Pete Beach Police Station is the ideal location for a charter school.

Academy by The Sea Board Members presented their lease proposal at the June 11 City Commission meeting. 

"We feel a strong public education provides a strong foundation for our children. We want that foundation for these children to come from St. Pete Beach," said Luann Schecht, ABTS board member. 

If everything goes in the organization's favor, they could begin school on Sept. 14, 2014. The proposed charter school would offer a Montessori based curriculum for students in fourth through eighth grades. Currently, they're in the process of applying for their charter from the Pinellas County School District. 

Schecht believes the former police station, at 200 76th Ave., is a secure building and ideal location that will provide an education foundation for the community.

She says the proximity of the St. Pete Beach Community Center is a huge asset. They plan to rent the gym during certain hours to offer physical education to students. This is another revenue source for the city, she said.

Currently, the station sits vacant. St. Pete Beach residents voted to outsource services to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in November, and in January the sheriff's office started patrolling the city.

Despite the enthusiasm of Academy by The Sea advocates, city leaders expressed several concerns including possible physical requirements and the building's proximity to the bay and main roads. For example, Mayor Steve McFarlin asked if the school is required to be fenced in due to high traffic on 75th Avenue South. 

In addition to these concerns, commissioners unanmously agreed they hadn't talked about what to do with the former police station and therefore didn't know what the appropriate rent would be. They're also unsure if other entities would be interested in leasing the building.

“Right now, you can paint the prettiest picture, we can’t say yes or no at this point,” Mayor McFarlin said.

Overall the proposed lease sparked debate about the future of the empty building.

"We haven’t decided what we’re going to do with it. We need to plan out a comprehensive plan," McFarlin said.

During the discussion, McFarlin asked why the organization couldn't lease the former Gulf Beaches Elementary School. The school has been empty since 2009. It remains at 8600 Boca Ciega Dr. with locked gates and empty classrooms.

“It’s a shame that you have this perfect facility not being used to educate students,” McFarlin said. 

Luann Schecht said they were told by officials with Pinellas County Schools that they were not leasing out any buildings to anyone right now.

Commissioners encouraged Academy by The Sea to look at other options throughout this process, including leasing the vacant school. However, supporters said they've hit a dead end regarding Gulf Beaches Elementary.

For now, commissioners said they may be able to reach out to school board members and plan a workshop to discuss the future of the police station.

“We’ll go to war with you on the Gulf Beaches,” Mayor McFarlin said.    

Learn more about Academy by The Sea on their website at http://academybythesea.com/.