The earliest schools in the “village” of Tampa date back to the 1850’s and 1860’s. After W.P. Wilson opened the first school in 1848, several schools followed during the 1850’s. However, due to the Civil War, all progress in the development of schools was lost during the war. One local historian referred to the period as being “ When Tampa Slipped Backward.” As would be expected, there was a great deal of chaos and disorder throughout the county immediately after the war. From this background rose Samuel Craft as the most influential educational reformer of the times in Tampa. Craft opened a school in the Baptist Church in Tampa then known as the “Select and Limited Male School” that prioritized the building of character in its students. The structure that he employed in his school was welcomed by local residents as a way of bringing order to the chaos and destruction left from the war.
Samuel Craft used his position as editor of the Florida Peninsular to impose his beliefs on the residents of Tampa and the surrounding communities. Upon opening his school in 1866, Craft described his philosophy about structure and discipline as follows:
“It is remarked by the Pope, that ‘Order is Heaven’s first law’. This sentiment should be inscribed upon, and practiced within the walls of every school- room. I have hitherto tried to carry this out. I expect to continue to do so, and consequently, any parents who are opposed to their children’s coming under rigid rules of discipline at school, are requested not to start them to this school- as due and timely notice is hereby given to all, that both large and small will be expected to comply implicitly, with the rules and regulations laid down, from time to time by the teacher, and on their failure to do so, large scholars will be expelled, and small ones corrected at the discretion of the teacher, and in cases of expulsion, if the tuition has not already been paid, it will be demanded for the full term, as through the scholar had continued.
P.S. All young men and youths are hereby notified, that if they enter my school, I shall assume a supervision of their general moral conduct- hence, should they make a practice of visiting any drinking or gambling establishments, or any other resorts of vice, or be guilty of conduct whereby their own characters may become impaired, and consequently the credit of the school injured, it will become a matter of school discipline. “ (78)
Although Samuel Craft’s school succeeded for only one year in Tampa, his editorials had an impact on the disciplinary practices that existed in the district, especially in rural schools. Craft’s philosophy of strict order and discipline was the cornerstone of many small smaller schools for decades after Craft left Tampa. Unfortunately, Craft’s philosophy was sometimes carried to extremes by overzealous educators. A historian from Hernando County reported the following disciplinary practices used in rural schools in the late 1860’s and 1870’s:
“The severity occasionally reached draconian levels. Flogging was an every- day occurrence as punishment for offenses of all kinds. There was little regard for age or sex in such punishment.” (79)
The area of Ybor City has long been recognized for its ethnic diversity. Its history as such produced many interesting stories related to its schools. For example, the 1907 Tampa City Directory listed two schools both named “Italian School”. One was listed as a public school and was located at 2315 17th St., while the other was listed as private. However, the private Italian School was also located in Ybor City at 1627 7th Avenue. Such a “coincidence” may not have existed in any other city in the United States. The residents of the Ybor City area were very interested and involved in their schools. Historian Tony Pizzo reported that the new “Ybor City Grammar School” opened its doors in 1908. The cost to the district was “$16,000 without furnishings”. The Tampa Tribune reported that the new school was “one of the most creditable school structures in South Florida and a great source of pride to the people of Ybor City.”
An article in the Tribune (12-30-1990) quoted an interview conducted with A.V. Giunta, who attended Ybor City Grammar School in 1915. Mr. Giunta had happy memories about his days at the school.
“We all had lunch on the open school grounds. The drinking water was shooting up from holes in a big, long pipe supported by a wooded trough. The older boys would often get in trouble with the principal when they would squirt water on the younger students.” (38)
Many of the historians referred to Ybor City Grammar School as V.M. Ybor School. Perhaps more than any other school in the district, this school was a true “melting pot” for the ethnic groups that populated Ybor City in the early 1900’s. The cigar industry was built by Italian, Latin, and Cuban immigrant families with many school-age children. Initially, the first generation of each of these groups had varied degrees of commitment to the education of their children. The great majority of the Cuban Latins knew how to read and write in the native language. In comparison, barely any of Ybor ‘s Italian population over the age of ten had these skills. (42) The 1910 census documented hundreds of Italian youths between the ages of 10 and 16 who were NOT listed as students. Pressure from the “old country” led to the opening of the Italian School in 1905 with a primary purpose of keeping the language and, heritage alive. Italian families also tended to rank other factors ahead of education such as family and owning a home.
It wasn’t only the Italian families who held their children out of school to work and support the family. Large numbers of Latin children also “dropped out” after the grammar school years to work and support the family. Most of the occupations simply did not require high school education at the time. Without question, the group that experienced the greatest difficulty securing an education for their children was the dark-skinned Afro-Cubans. Besides the perceived lack of need for education, this group was often forced to attend the few “colored schools” that existed at the time. There were reports of Cuban siblings of differing skin color attending different schools based on the darkness of their skin. As these groups settled into Ybor City, the School Board tended not to “force” education on the families especially, during the early years.
By 1910, newspapers published reports of labor leaders citing “at least a 1000 children under the age of twelve” working in the Ybor factories. For the most part, the Latins of Spanish origin took the lead in the Ybor education movement. However, all ethnic groups endured cultural and language barriers. Latins referred to Ybor School as “Free schools” and soon began attending in large numbers. Most spoke little or no English and the schools made few accommodations for language differences. Sam Marotta, a student at Cuesta School in Ybor described his experience as: “It was sink or swim. We struggled, but we managed”. (43)
By the 1920’s, Ybor schools were the most populated in the county and Latin students were also becoming more visible in “mainstream” schools. In 1925, Ybor School had, by far, the largest enrollment with 1621 followed by Cuesta with 882 and Shore with 744 (22). Sports were also an attraction, especially for the Latin students. They provided Latin students with socially approved competition but also accelerated upward mobility and the integration of Ybor City youths into mainstream Tampa. (42) In 1920, there were only two Latin students on the football team at Hillsborough High. But by 1925, half of the starting offensive and defensive teams were Latin students of Ybor origin. In 1915, there were only two Latin students in the graduating class. By 1935, 26% of the Hillsborough graduating class (i.e., 82 out of 315) were Latin students. The same year, 50% of all Italian graduates reported a desire to attend college. In contrast, as the cigar industry faded, many of the Afro Cubans moved out of the area to New York and other northern cities.
In two generations of Ybor City, between 1900 and 1938, V.M. Ybor had served its purpose and the major ethnic groups of the Ybor “melting pot” were success fully assimilated into “mainstream Tampa”.
Robert E. Lee Elementary School is considered to be the second oldest brick structure in the district that is still operational as a school. It opened in 1906 as the Michigan Avenue Grammar School. It is important to understand the events in Tampa at the turn of the century that led to the construction of Michigan Ave. School. Many of the business men who lived in the lowlands of Tampa (near Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough River) became dissatisfied with the location of their homes. In particular, there were outbreaks of yellow fever in these locations during the late l880’s. In the early l900’s, farmers began selling off their land in the higher regions immediately outside of the city. One developer, Joseph Robles, targeted the Tampa Heights area for the construction of homes. By 1907, Robles had platted 21 subdivisions outside of the old city limits. He envisioned the Tampa Heights area becoming an “upper and upper middle class” neighborhood for business men and professionals.
However, these families tended to relocate in the Hyde Park and Bayshore subdivisions instead. Due to its location closer to manufacturing and shipping, Tampa Heights became a working, middle class neighborhood with a strong focus on the education of its children. To meet the needs of these families, Michigan Avenue Grammar School was erected in 1906. By 1908, the school was receiving the highest funding ($1,960.00) of any elementary school in the district due to its rapid growth in student population.(28) The Michigan Avenue Grammar School opened in 1906 under the leadership of Mrs. Lula Bradford, pictured on the front steps in an old Tribune photo. (62)
Reportedly, Mrs. Bradford was hospitalized with appendicitis one week after the school opened. The real job of opening the new school was relegated to Mrs. Luneta Fleagle, who is also pictured below. Long careers were common in the early years and Mrs. Fleagle served the school system for 53 years. After Mrs. Bradford retired as principal, Mrs. Fleagle served as the school’s principal for 27 years. However, for a brief period between Mrs. Bradford and Mrs. Fleagle, Michigan Avenue Grammar School operated under the leadership of Professor Earnest Robinson, future principal of Hillsborough High and author of “The History of Hillsborough County, Florida.”
When the school opened, there was still a great deal of construction occurring on a daily basis. The neighborhood was filled with skilled laborers and artisans, local residents actively participated in the construction of the school. This led to certain anomalies in the design and construction, which were noted years later when the school was being renovated. For example, many of the windows throughout the school had different dimension and measurements due to the participation of different workers. During the first few months of school, the teachers and students were subjected to the continual sound of hammers and saws. Often, teachers were “ordered around” by the workmen telling them to divert their classes around the sawhorses. (62) From these humble beginnings, the Michigan Avenue Grammar School went on to become one of the most successful schools in the history of the district. Many of the most influential citizens in Tampa’s rich history, including former Governor Bob Martinez, attended this school at some time. In 1915, when the George Washington Junior High School opened one block east on Michigan Avenue, the combination of the two schools was the most impressive “school complex” in the district until Hillsborough and Memorial were paired in 1927.
Robert E Lee Elementary continued to be one of the most popular schools in the district as a magnet school for technology until it burned due to an electrical fire following a hurricane in 2018?. Reminders of the school’s rich history surround the students of 2000. Despite its “structural inconsistencies”, the school received the highest ranking in a recent historical and architectural study commissioned by the School Board. The school was described as “a finely detailed and well-crafted example of English Colonial Revival”. The building was further praised as being “well-preserved with a high degree of (architectural) integrity”. Standing outside on Columbus (Michigan) Avenue, it was easy to imagine a scene from 1910 with the “clanking street car on the sandy, unpaved street” and jumping on the moving trolley “hitching a free ride” home from school.
John H. Gorrie Elementary is believed to be “the oldest operating elementary school in the state of Florida”. (49) The school was originally known as Hyde Park Grammar School until it was renamed as Gorrie Elementary in 1915. John Gorrie was a physician from Apalachicola who invented the ice-making machine, which later led to air conditioning. The school was initially opened in a rural area that some Tampa residents referred to as “a wilderness of rattlesnakes and cow pastures”. Before the present-day structure, the school had two previous locations. The “old” building that residents know today was constructed in 1903 with cloakrooms and fireplaces in each of the eight classrooms. A second building was completed in 1912 with a basement that brought the first indoor toilets to the school.
However, what was once “state of the art” soon became outdated, at least in the eyes of state officials. When the district sought to renovate Gorrie in the 1970’s , the State Department gave the school a C-3 ranking which prohibited any further state funds from being spent on the school. Generations of families who attended Gorrie united to resist any efforts to demolish the old school and build a new school. Due to the efforts of this group, Gorrie was designated as a State Historical Site, which promoted funding for it preservation. In response, the local School Board provided the additional funds for the restoration of the old school. Students and teachers are reminded of the school’s rich tradition by its outdoor water fountains and picnic tables, by the old wooden banisters and stairs, and by the old “cloak rooms” and remnants of fireplaces.
Joseph Wilson, news director for radio station WPLA in Plant City, wrote of his experiences at Hyde Park Grammar School. This account was published by D.B. McKay in his popular Pioneer Florida column
“The street car line to Port Tampa ran a little south of the brick school (Gorrie) to make its way to what is now Bayshore Boulevard. I remember that my teacher was Miss Louise Morton. The 15 or 20 kids that attended the year I did thought so much of Miss Morton, we used to walk up to her home on either Hyde Park or Plant Avenue and walk back to school with her every morning. (32)
Miss Warner was my teacher through the fourth grade. She wanted me to skip the fifth grade and go into the sixth the next term. All I remember about the principal of that school for several years is a short, stubby man, who wore glasses, and who used to skip up and down the walks with the girls, and whom we knew as ‘Professor Ellis’. In those days the boys had to play on one side of the building and the girls on the other. We had no directed play, no football, and believe it or not; we had to brush our own teeth without any help from my teacher, or without lectures about oral hygiene”.
Gorrie is also thought to be the first school in the district to introduce a “hot lunch program” for its students. Records indicate that the 1903 wood frame building was used for the hot lunch program. Later, it was reported that the old building was also used as a “model kindergarten”. Kindergarten instruction was very rare at that time and it is possible that Gorrie had the first dedicated kindergarten program in the district. A few years later, this building was used as one of the earliest libraries in a public school in Hillsborough County. (-t9J Until 1936, when the structure was moved, the general public was permitted to use the library.
In Gorrie’s case, age is equal to quality as the school has won the “Florida Five Star School Award” for five consecutive years and was named in 1999 as a “National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence”. Below is a 1914 photograph of the “Hyde Park School Lunchroom” published in Norma Frazier’s “Education: From Its Beginning in the Territory to Present.” (30 )
Palm River School In the early years of the district, schools were often used to serve the needs of the immediate community. In the early 1900’s, the area immediately south of the Palm River (now the Tampa Bypass Canal) was sparsely populated. Farms and homes were so spread out that there was great difficulty communicating events between residents. Even mail delivery was difficult as it had to be carried north around Six Mile Creek and south along a sandy trail on the south bank of the Palm River to get to the village. The was no bridge over the Palm River to the Orient Park area north of the river. At that time, a small one-room school building was erected at the site of the present-day First Baptist Church. The school needed a way to signal the beginning and end of the school day. Mrs. Leila Cueto Diez, a community leader, decided that a bell was the best way to meet the needs of the community and the school. Mrs. Diez led a community effort to raise funds to purchase the bell by selling eggs. There is no record of how long it took to raise these funds. When the bell arrived from Chicago, it was mounted on the top of the new school building. Fortunately, the bell was never used to warn the area residents of an emergency. However, it was used to call children to school every day until the new Palm River Elementary opened in 1948. When the old school closed , the bell was donated to St. Cecilia ‘s Episcopal Church. Later, it was returned to the school district and today, it is displayed in the main office of Palm River Elementary as an historical reminder of the area’s past. (63)
Seminole Heights Grammar School was one of the earliest schools to open during the period when Tampa residents were relocating to Tampa and Seminole Heights. The original wood-frame school was located on the corner of Hanna and Central Ave. In 1922, a new brick building was erected across the street with additions in the mid 1920 ‘s. The brick building of 1922 was reported to be one of the first schools to utilize “modern” water fountains. These were equipped with ice boxes to cool the water for the students at all times. Seminole was noted for its gateway posts at the Central and Hanna entrance of the school. To commemorate the historical significance of the entrance gate, the staff and students of Seminole buried a “ time capsule” under the gateway on November 11, 1923. Fifty-nine years later, in 1982, the time capsule was dug up by Principal Robert Vick. Unfortunately, the primitive time capsule had turned into a “dirty glass jar with a rusty top partially filled with water”. The contents, lists of students, teachers, and old report cards, were badly damaged and decomposed. Not to be deterred, the staff and students deposited a new time capsule in the old landmark columns at the school entrance. In keeping with the times, the new time capsule contained a school menu, pictures of ET, Garfield, an Atari floppy disk, and a Tampa Tribune. Hopefully, the new capsule will be more resistant to the elements.
Brandon School – As schools developed in the rural parts of Hillsborough County, the school often became the social center for the community. Brandon School, located on Knights Avenue in the “old” section of Brandon, is one of the oldest schools in Hillsborough County. The first edition of Brandon School was a one room, wood frame school located on land donated by John Brandon, the founding father of Brandon. The exact date of origin is not known, but the school was in existence in the 1880’s. As Brandon grew, other one-room schools sprung up in the Brandon vicinity. Around 1910, the residents identified a need for a larger schoolhouse that would consolidate the one-room schools that were in operation throughout the community. Construction was initiated on the original site of Brandon School, the san1e site donated by John Brandon, and in 1914, the first of the “twin towers” of Brandon School was completed. This two story structure housed grades 1 through 8 for the entire community. There was also a need, however, for high school level education and Brandon did not have easy access to the high schools in Tampa or Plant City. In response, the community erected the second twin tower in 1917 so that the school could serve 1 through 12. In 1923, the school had its first graduating class of four students. From that point, Brandon School functioned as one of the most successful 1 – 12 schools in the district for over three decades.
The school quickly became the center of social activity in the town. As James Elliott, current principal, reports almost everyone who grew up in Brandon attended the facility at some time. Town residents enjoyed social functions at the school on a regular basis. The second floor of the 1914 building served as an auditorium that hosted plays, movies, and special events for town residents for many years. This served to strengthen the bond between the community and Brandon School. In 1930, E.F. “Mac” McLane became principal at Brandon School, a position that he retained for approximately years. His tenure as principal at one school in the district was exceeded only by Vivian Gaither at Hillsborough High. Since McLane felt that he was responsible for the welfare of the school at all times he attended many of the community social functions over the years. His popularity and respect within the community remains unquestioned through today. Generations of Brandon School alumni fondly remember Principal McLane’s response to students “skipping school”. Apparently, there was a railroad behind the school that went into Tampa. Students would hop on the passing train, spend the day in Tampa, and return before school ended. This lasted only briefly as students soon found Mac McLane waiting with a paddle when they returned on the afternoon train. Since McLane was such a popular figure in the community, few parents ever questioned his judgement when it came to discipline. He was named one of the 100 outstanding Floridians in the 20th century.
McLane remained at the school long enough to oversee the transition of Brandon School into Brandon High School. In 1954, the elementary students were transferred to Yates and the school became a 7- 12 school. Finally, in 1962, a year before McLane retired, the junior high students moved to Mann making the school the predecessor to present-day Brandon High School. Brandon school made its final transition in 1973 when the new high school opened. It becan1e McLane Junior High, named in honor of its beloved principal, Mac McLane.
Trustees From the earliest date, each school had its own set of Trustees appointed by the Board of Education. The Trustees hired all teachers and the principal and conducted all business for the school. Each school’s Trustees would send their recommendations to the superintendent who would then take them to the Board for approval. The Trustees, in effect, ran the schools. In later years, the Trustees were elected. It was said that the custodians were very influential in the Trustee elections, and thus, had great influence in their respective schools. In 1947, the school Trustee system was consolidated from the 35 districts into one District with three elected trustees. This system, although consolidated, did spawn periodic conflicts between the superintendent and the trustees. On January 1, 1957, the Trustee system was abolished by action of the Board.