TAMPA, Fla. — There could soon be an announcement for a new K-8 school to replace Just Elementary School in West Tampa after a contentious school board vote closed the campus in 2023, scattering students and upsetting the community.
"There's some discussions with the school board that are happening. I know that they're going to be having a meeting soon to announce some new plans,” Albert Milo, Jr., president of the Related Urban Development Group, said.
Milo says Related has been talking with the district about possibly being a developer for a new K-8 school, which documents reviewed by 10 Investigates suggest could replace Just Elementary, but likely in a new location that has not yet been confirmed.
“We had responded to a previous solicitation, but that's still in the works as part of the bigger, broader redevelopment of this West River, West Tampa area,” he said.
Related already has several multi-million-dollar contracts in West Tampa near the Hillsborough River, an area the city of Tampa and the Tampa Housing Authority have been working for years to redevelop.
RELATED: Changing Face of Tampa: Plan reveals erasure of Just Elementary long before school board's vote
Just last week, Related broke ground on a 188-unit affordable housing development along Main Street. It’s part of a larger redevelopment plan to build a mixed-income community to replace what was once North Boulevard Homes — old, barrack-style public housing that existed in the area before demolition in 2017.
In 2021, Related also secured a $300 million deal with the city of Tampa to redevelop Rome Yard, a parcel of land along the river immediately north of Just Elementary. That plan calls for affordable and market-rate homes, retail and recreation along the river.
Superintendent Van Ayres would not confirm whether the district is planning for a new K-8 school but did mention a meeting with the Just task force.
“More information to come on Just Elementary,” he said. “Exciting news around Just.”
However, Deputy Superintendent of Operations Chris Farkas did confirm to 10 Investigates the district has talked about reopening a new school in Just’s place.
“It has been discussed,” he said.
A 4-3 vote last year shut down the school, sending students to Booker T. Washington Elementary and Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary. Just, which was mostly Black and Hispanic, had an F rating.
“Look at the data. This school is in--these kids are in crisis,” board member Stacy Hahn said ahead of the vote.
Others were a little more cynical.
“This is prime property. These schools-- Stewart and Blake, are on the river, just like Just. Developers want this land, and they will do anything to take it,” Tina Young, CEO of Project LINK, told 10 Investigates in 2023.
Young works in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools to support students and families with academic, social, emotional and health needs. Before Just was closed, she was relocated from a small portable next to the school so the city could make room for the Rome Yard project.
She says the district's decision to close Just Elementary and send them to other schools disrupted the lives of the children and families she serves.
"Our kids are being pushed aside," she said.
Joe Robinson, activist, engineer and chair of the West Tampa Community Advisory Council, supports a K-8 school in the area.
"That's what the community wants,” he said.
His sentiments echo the city of Tampa and the Tampa Housing Authority's 2015 West River Master Plan, which models various scenarios that call for a new K-8 school. As the plan was coming together, the city and THA held community roundtables to solicit input.
The community said, "'We want a brand new school in West Tampa in this area right here.' Period. That's what they said. And I took that upon myself to push that to the point that our West Tampa CRA has stated that we want them to consider consolidating the two schools over here," Robinson said.
10 Investigates got a copy of a 2023 letter the West Tampa CRA's Community Advisory Council wrote to former Superintendent Addison Davis, asking the district to consider consolidating Just Elementary and the nearby Stewart Middle School.
“With the tremendous increase in expected population growth occurring in the West River area and throughout West Tampa, high-density multifamily and mixed-use developments already in planning or construction, and a soon-to-come new $30 million riverwalk, we believe a more strategic approach should be taken into consideration by the school district to design and develop a 'new' urban campus school that can accommodate pre-k through 8th grade,” the letter reads.
"It's been a long fight for me because this is going on eight years and everybody laughing at me," Robinson said. "Everybody down there wants to save the original schools. I didn't participate. And I'll tell you the truth because I want brand new for our poor, impoverished community. Especially people of color, especially Black folks. It is Black History Month and we got a few more days and my wish is before this month is out that justice, economic justice, social justice will be had."
Only time will tell if Robinson’s wishes will come true.
Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. Like her on Facebook and follow her on X. You can also email her at emorrow@10tampabay.com.