By LOIS KINDLE
Next week, children throughout South Shore will head back to the classrooms for their 2017-2018 school year. And just under 800 of them in grades K-6 will be part of Waterset Charter School’s inaugural enrollment.
“Our capacity is 1,145, but we will open with 796 students,” said Sara Capwell, a veteran principal with 23 years of combined administrative and teaching experience in charter, magnet, public and Christian schools in Florida, Wisconsin and Minnesota. “We will add 7th grade for the 2018-2019 school year and 8th grade for 2019-2020.”
“There are benefits to every kind of school, but for me it’s all about choice, and this community is very interested in school choice,” she said. “Everyone at this school, including parents, teachers and staff, choose to be here, and that invests them and gives them ownership.”
Waterset Charter School is a tuition-free public school governed by the Florida Educational Foundation Inc. Board and operated by Charter Schools USA, an education management company that sets its curriculum and ensures all state-mandated requirements are met.
Capwell is delighted to be on board.
“Charter Schools USA provides support and autonomy for site-based principals,” she said. “It finds the top affordable curriculum available that aligns with Florida educational standards for us to choose from.”
Enrollment at the 68,000-square-foot school is based on a lottery system that gives preference only to children of active members of the military and its staff members. Beginning next year, siblings of children selected to enroll this school year will also be shown preference, Capwell said.
Parents interested in enrolling their children for the 2018-2019 school year should apply online at www.watersetcharter.org between January and March, she added. The school is open to any child, regardless of where they live in the state.
“Essentially, it’s the luck of the draw,” the principal said. “We already have a waiting list for all grades.”
The facility will open with 45 teachers and 10 staff members. All students will have a classroom teacher for their grade levels and periods of art, music, physical education, technology and Spanish.
When the middle school grades are added, students get a half-year of physical education, half-year of leadership (the school’s focus) and a choice of art, music, technology or Spanish.
“We will also be offering enrichment opportunities like sports, cheerleading and service clubs, depending on student interests,” Capwell said.
Community service will also play a large role.
“We want our children to become engaged with the community, to be part of activities like fundraisers where kids can give back, not necessarily with money but with time and service,” Capwell said. “It changes each of us when we have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others.”
Waterset Charter School accommodates children with special needs, offers before- and after-school care at a minimal charge and participates in the national school lunch program, which means eligible students can receive free or reduced-cost lunches. School uniforms are required.
The school is in Waterset at 6450 Knowledge Lane, Apollo Beach. For more information, visit www.watersetcharter.org or call 813-616-5865. For enrollment information, email info@watersetcharter.org.