The school district of Hillsborough County is looking to the public to help name a new school.
The brand-new, state-of-the-art school is opening in the Apollo Beach/Waterset area in August 2022. This school will be under the educational leadership of Catherine ‘Missy’ Lennard, who is no stranger to South County or Hillsborough County Public Schools. She started her educational career in 1993 teaching at Cypress Creek Elementary School and then working as a reading specialist at Gibsonton Elementary, where she also attended as a student. She is a proud graduate of East Bay High School.
Lennard also has experience opening new schools in Hillsborough County. In 2009, she became the principal of Stowers Elementary, working closely with the builders, architects and school district operations team to create an A-rated school.
“The school is being built and the leader has been chosen, now the school needs a name,” said Lauren Egan Bergold, assistant manager of communications and district-wide support for the district.
On Tuesday, February 8, the school board will consider all name recommendations that meet School Board Policy 7250 and vote on a school name.
Residents are invited to recommend a name for the board to consider by filling out this brief survey by Friday, January 21 at https://bit.ly/UU-PK8.
“This new school will engage students with an internationally minded focus while fostering a love of education through a hands-on, project-based approach to learning,” said Bergold. “The robust technology on-campus will prepare students for the 21st century while also offering them art, dance and other opportunities to explore their creative side.”
To see if it is the right fit for their child, families interested in learning more about the school can attend a meet and greet with Lennard on Thursday, January 6 at Lennard High School, located at 2342 E. Shell Point Rd. in Ruskin, in the cafeteria at 6 p.m. This is an additional opportunity for the community to provide input regarding name options for the new Pre-K-8 school, learn about the school’s program offerings and ask questions. Members of the design team, Wilder Architecture, and builders from CORE/HORUS Construction will also be present to share photos of the new school.
To learn more about the school, visit www.hillsboroughschools.org.
