Dreamers Academy took another step in its rapid growth on Sept. 17, breaking ground on a new middle school campus in Sarasota's historic Newtown neighborhood that will expand enrollment and create a pathway for students through eighth grade.
Dreamers Academy, a tuition-free public charter school, broke ground on a 10-acre upper campus that will include a 42,000-square-foot middle school building scheduled to open in August 2027.
The project marks the next phase of growth for the dual-language immersion school, which serves students from Sarasota and Manatee counties.
The groundbreaking marks the latest milestone for the dual-language charter school, which opened its permanent Myrtle Street campus in 2023 after years of planning and pandemic-related
delays.
Since launching with about 190 students in 2021, Dreamers Academy has grown to roughly 650 students.
The growth has signaled a rising demand for the academy's Spanish-English immersion model.
School leaders say the new campus will increase total enrollment capacity to 1,158 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
To accommodate its growth, the school added 25 instructional and support staff members this year.
The academy's curriculum is built around dual-language immersion, with students learning Florida academic standards in both English and Spanish. School officials say the approach helps students become bilingual while preparing them for future academic and career opportunities.
"The growth we are experiencing reflects the confidence families have placed in Dreamers Academy," Head of School Dr. Cathy Rodriguez said in a statement. The new campus will provide additional space and resources for middle school students as enrollment continues to increase.
Dreamers Academy officials said the expansion is especially significant because the school is located in Newtown, an area identified through federal housing data as experiencing concentrated economic disadvantage.
Construction of the new facility is supported by a state infrastructure bond.
The groundbreaking ceremony drew city and county commissioners, Sarasota County School Board members, education leaders and Dreamers Academy families to celebrate what organizers described as a major investment in the Newtown community.
Samantha Gholar is an enterprise journalist with USA Today Co. and covers community, business, tourism, and health and wellness for the Herald-Tribune. Connect with her via email at sgholar@usatodayco.com for stories, tips, and news features.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Dreamers Academy breaks ground on new middle school campus in Newtown
