New school accepting applications for K- 2nd grade

Plans now call for the proposed Tampa Bay Jewish Academy to open Monday, Aug. 16 at Congregation Beth Shalom in Clearwater with classes for kindergarten, first and second grades — if at least 20 students enroll, according to Robby Cicco of the school’s organizing committee.

“We’re set to open. If we have enough enrollment we will. We need at least 20,” Cicco told the Jewish Press. He said 10 students had enrolled as of mid-July.

“We need commitments,” he said. The TBJA was created to replace the Pinellas County Jewish Day School, which closed on June 1 after 30 years of operation. Efforts to keep that school going failed when parents lost faith in the school’s financial ability to continue. Consequently there were far too few commitments for the new school year to make that kindergarten – eighth grade entity viable.

Cicco said committee members have contacted the families of PCJDS students from the last school year seeking to enroll them. “It’s been tough,” he said.

He said some families do not want to have older and younger siblings in different schools, while others say they want to wait until next year to see how the Academy does in its first year.

“If we wait until next year, there won’t be a next year,” Cicco said. “Hopefully, we can keep this alive.”

Tuition for the Academy has been set at $6,000 a year or $600 per month.

Cicco said the Academy would be denominationally independent and would welcome students from the entire Jewish community.

The school’s general studies program will offer language arts (includes reading, writing, grammar, spelling and handwriting), mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, computer use and physical education. The Jewish curriculum will be based on daily prayer, Torah study and studies on Jewish practices and holidays and the history of the Jewish people and Israel.

“Our program endeavors to make customs and traditions an integral part of students’ everyday life through three modes of communication: oral, written and visual,” Academy organizers say in a brochure. “We strive to bring Jewish culture and its heritage to life. Stories, music and dances instill positive feelings for Judiasm in the student and enrich the curriculum.”

Cicco said daily classes would spend about two-thirds of the time on general studies and one-third on Jewish subjects. He said two teachers from the PCJDS had been hired and a third teacher is being sought.

The Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties is supporting efforts to organize the Academy and has information about the school on its website: www.jewishpinellas.org. “It is crucial that we have a Jewish day school in this area and this is the first step,” Federation Executive Director Bonnie Friedman said.

Cicco said the Academy hoped to add more grades in its second year and might seek to become a charter school, which would mean the cost of general studies classes would be paid for by the state of Florida. If that happened, tuition could be significantly reduced, he said.

Other committee members are Rabbis David Weizman and Danielle Upbin of Congregation Beth Shalom, Helen Freid, Michael Igel and Louis Orloff.

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Cong regat ion Beth Shalom is located at 1325 South Belcher Road, Clearwater. Cicco can be contacted at (727) 510-4291 or by email at robbycicco@ cs.com.