Bradenton school hopes for ‘holiday miracle’ after missing campus expansion deadline
A Bradenton charter school is hoping for a “holiday miracle” to keep moving forward with plans to expand its footprint and create a better learning environment for students.
Visible Men Academy previously purchased four acres along 63rd Avenue East to build a school campus, but those plans are in jeopardy. The Title I school has missed a crucial deadline — twice — that puts it at risk of losing the opportunity.
Based on the purchase agreement, the land is set to be transferred back to Manatee County Government, which sold the land for $85,000 in 2015. Since then, the property’s value has increased to $408,000, according to the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office.
The tuition-free, all-male public charter school serves about 70 children from low-income families, school leaders say. The land would allow Visible Men Academy to relocate on its own campus. It could also boost the school’s population to 400 kids, the principal said. While charter schools are considered public institutions, they are run privately.
Right now, Visible Men Academy leases space from the Beth Messiah Messianic Synagogue, 1003 63rd Ave. E., Bradenton, next door to the land the school bought. The academy does not have a religious curriculum.
“As you can imagine, it’s a frustrating position because our biggest priority is providing a place for underprivileged boys to have an excellent education and give them the opportunity to have a school of their own,” Tara Sall, who sits on the school’s board of directors, told county commissioners during a recent public meeting.
The school, founded in 2013, received a B grade in 2019 before dropping to an F grade in 2022, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Bradenton school could lose expansion opportunity
The purchase agreement required Visible Men Academy to complete construction by September 2020. In 2018, the Manatee County Commission extended the deadline to September 2023.
But construction has yet to begin, and county officials say they have not reviewed key documents, such as the school’s fundraising progress or a site plan for the facility that Visible Men Academy plans to build.
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, school principal Janjay Gehndyu said VMA shifted priorities from building a new campus to work on improving a low school grade and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I can’t fix the fumbles that happened before my time here,” said Gehndyu, who is in his third year as the school’s leader. “But the people who know me know what I’m about, they know what I’m going to do. I’m just asking for the county to give us more time to make that happen. It’s going to be a win-win for our community.”
Gehndyu also said he has had promising conversations with local donors willing to help fund the construction of a school campus. Visible Men Academy hopes to raise about $2 million, he said.
“Forfeiting the county’s generous gift would force VMA to raise additional millions through philanthropy, move the school’s campus away from its families, or both,” Visible Men Academy’s board chair, Naiema Frieson, said in a statement provided to the Bradenton Herald. “In this season of giving, we are hoping for a holiday miracle.”
Manatee officials discuss land options
But government officials don’t appear to have plans to extend the land agreement again. During a September discussion, Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said he supported allowing the agreement to expire and refunding Visible Men Academy’s $85,000 purchase price.
County Administrator Charlie Bishop suggested taking ownership of the land and putting it up for sale again, allowing Visible Men Academy or another buyer to make a new offer.
Speaking with the Bradenton Herald, Commissioner George Kruse said he was disappointed to see the contract expire without any discussion by board members. He said the school’s lack of fundraising is part of a larger problem.
“It’s not a reflection on VMA. It’s a reflection on reality,” Kruse said, pointing to drawn-out fundraising campaigns from other local organizations. “It’s not that easy to raise capital funds. A lot of people are looking for money and there’s only so much out there.”
Commissioner Amanda Ballard, who represents the Pride Park area on the Manatee County Commission, spoke highly of the school but declined to comment on whether she supported another extension.
“I think that VMA is a great organization,” Ballard said. “I really like what they do for boys in our community.”
Commissioner Mike Rahn, who also represents VMA’s service area, also acknowledged the difficulty of fundraising. He added that would like to see the vacant property turned into something that will “enhance the Pride Park community,” such as an affordable housing project.
“My goal is not to hurt the school,” Rahn said. “At some point, we can’t just let that property sit there.”
What happens next?
According to County Attorney Bill Clague, VMA’s deadline passed in September, triggering a window for the county to discuss options with school leaders before the land reverts to the county’s possession. That period expires Jan. 24, Rahn said.
In the meantime, school leaders say they are hopeful both sides can come to an agreement that gives VMA’s students space to “build their academic achievement.”
“We’re at a mission-critical stance here not just for today,” Ghendyu said. “This is long-term, generational success we’re talking about.”
This story was originally published December 1, 2023 at 1:36 PM.
