NFL player Brian Poole set sights on Lincoln Memorial Academy charter school

As the ousted leaders of Lincoln Memorial Academy appeal a district takeover of their charter school, another group is standing by, ready to operate the campus in Palmetto.

The School Board of Manatee County revoked Lincoln Memorial’s charter and took over its campus on July 23, citing issues with its finances and its former principal, Eddie Hundley.

An administrative law judge upheld the school board’s decision in September, after a four-day hearing, and the school district has since operated Lincoln Memorial. Its former leaders are now challenging the takeover in a state appeals court.

If the appeal fails, the school district would consider a charter application from Florida Prep Academies Inc., an organization backed by New York Jets player and Manatee County native Brian Poole Jr.

The school would retain its Trojan identity, and though it would operate under a new charter, the school would open under a similar name: Lincoln Memorial Prep Academy.

“By providing a learning environment for a diverse population, all students have the opportunity to achieve academic and social growth,” the application states.

The proposal was filed in January and recently obtained by the Bradenton Herald through a public records request.

School’s board would have high-profile members

Poole, who graduated from Southeast High School and played football at the University of Florida, would serve as president of the school’s governing board.

His nonprofit, The Brian Poole Foundation, has dozens of national sponsors, including Nike, Tropicana, Ford, Champs Sports, McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Lincoln Memorial Prep would lean on foundation sponsors to provide in-school workshops, guest speakers and possible internships for students.

Horace Madison, a founding member of Madison Financial Group, is listed as the school’s chief financial officer. Madison’s past clients include Lil Wayne, Usher, OutKast, DMX, Lil Jon and Meek Mill, among other celebrity artists, the application continues.

Jim Delgado, managing partner at the Law Offices of Shapiro and Delgado, is listed as the board’s legal counsel. According to the application, local board members include Lorenzo Waiters, a captain at the Palmetto Police Department; along with Lenita Williams and Neacy Sanders, both educators in Manatee County.

The application also listed an advisory team that included Tarnisha Cliatt, president of the Manatee NAACP; Reggie Bellamy, a county commissioner; and Winky Wright, a retired Hall of Fame boxer.

After an earlier version of this story ran online and in the newspaper on Tuesday morning, Bellamy and Cliatt disputed the application and denied any involvement with Florida Prep Academies.

“I have not agreed to be a part of any advisory board, period,” Bellamy said.

“This is the first time I heard about my name being used,” Cliatt followed. “I didn’t know the name of the company or anything.”

The application also listed Herb Washington, an accomplished sprinter and entrepreneur, as a member of the governing board. On Tuesday evening, Washington said he had a conversation about the proposed school in December, but he never committed to a position.

Brian Poole Sr., the father of Poole Jr. and the vice president of Florida Prep Academies, responded with surprise. He said the organization spoke with everyone involved before the application was filed, and he said all three names would be removed from the list.

“Trust me, we did not just come up with their names out of the blue,” he said.

School could build new campus

Florida Prep Academies said it hoped to lease the building where Lincoln Memorial now sits, at the corner of U.S. 41 and 17th Street East. Alternatively, the organization would build a new campus at the intersection of 14th Avenue East and 23rd Street West in Palmetto.

“This location will easily house our facility,” the application states. “Cost estimates to build our facility have been estimated at ten million dollars and will either be funded through a conventional mortgage or municipal bonds.”

The start-up budget includes a mix of grants and other sources, “all backed by The Brian Poole Foundation,” according to the application.

To come up with a five-year budget, the organization studied “extensive historical data” from years when Lincoln Middle was a traditional school, along with the year it operated as Lincoln Memorial Academy.

The governing board pledged to review finances and make adjustments on a monthly basis. It also formed a contingency plan, in case student enrollment — and the associated funding — was less than expected.

“The board has tremendous experience in this area and will be able to accommodate for changes on an ongoing basis,” the application states.

School would have seven core principles

Lincoln Memorial Prep would be built on seven core principles: structure, character education, literacy, family partnerships and excellent teaching, along with an emphasis on mathematics and a “growth mindset.”

“LMP’s educational program is designed to attract students interested in a sports and leadership-based education,” the application states.

School employees would hold orientations and home visits before the school year begins, educating parents on ways to support their children’s education, and learning what families need to be successful.

The school would also offer a Spanish-language program to help students function “within a global society of the 21st century,” according to the application.

“Teachers and staff will collaborate with members of the Hispanic community at large to provide opportunities for students to connect school and community,” it states.

Along with the core academics, Lincoln Memorial Prep would include leadership development in its daily classes and activities, using a program called “The Leader in Me.” Electives would include dance, theater, music and visual leadership.

Students would have an opportunity to learn about graphic design, photography and film-making through a technology program, and Lincoln Memorial Prep would offer “enrichment activities” before and after school, helping students expand their skills and interests.

All students would have a leadership portfolio that tracks progress in their classes, artistic pursuits and character development. Many would become first-generation high school graduates and college students, according to the application.

“At Lincoln Memorial Prep, we believe that our scholars can reach the same levels of achievement as the highest performing students in Florida,” the application states.

The proposed school would start with grades six through eight and expand to a K-8 school over time. The organization also hoped to open a new school — Lincoln Memorial Elementary — in future years, creating a feeder school for Lincoln Memorial Prep.

Florida Prep Academies would train school employees through an in-house program called “Lincoln Memorial University,” and the application touted salaries that were “competitive or better” than wages offered by the school district.

Other details were on hold during the ongoing appeal by Lincoln Memorial’s former leaders. If they were to lose the appeal and Lincoln Memorial Prep were granted a charter, the school would negotiate a lease and interview candidates for the school principal.

According to its projected enrollment, the school would enroll up to 484 students and grow its capacity to 644 students by the fifth year.

“LMP will feature a diversity of population, including students with exceptionalities (ESE), English language learners (ELL), and students of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds,” the application states.

This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM.