TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. -- A new $20 million charter school in Hillsborough County hopes to provide free tuition to local students.
"You can't make someone successful. It has to come from within,” said Dr. Kiran Patel. "The major challenge of the coming generations of the cost of education should be addressed.”
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Construction for Dr. Kiran Patel High School, located on Raulerson Ranch Road off U.S. 301 in Temple Terrace, will be complete this summer.
"Today, as you know, vocational training is going down and the need for it is getting higher, and the myth that if you use your art, your hands, is not a valuable skill, should be broken,” Patel said.
"If I could build a school from scratch, literally like we're doing, this is what I would do,” said Principal Marlee Strawn.
Patel High School plans to open its doors to 300 students in the 2019-2020 school year. Students will focus on "project-based learning” by investigating and responding to complex questions or challenges.
"We wanted to give the students an opportunity to have a collaboration area so we're going to have a collaboration study area that's similar to something you'd see in a university. There's breakout study rooms. All of the furniture is movable,” said Principal Strawn.
"This is one more choice for a student going to a public school,” said Dr. Patel.
The high school is still accepting applications.
A community event for anyone interested is planned for May 7, 6 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites located at 8319 Gailbraith Road in Tampa.
