WEST REGION
2 FCLF LOANs $1.9 million
for acquisition & rehabilitation
land and school building for special needs students

"Woodlawn Community Academy searched for years for the right site and right financing for our school. FCLF came alongside us and made it possible for our vision to be realized. Thanks to their funding and efforts on the school's behalf, many special needs and low-income students can now access the educational services that they need." – Charlotte Tollefson, Administrator

In 1999, special education teacher Charlotte Tollefson was dissatisfied with education options for exceptional students in the Clearwater area. With a goal of creating an ideal environment in which young adults with disabilities not only survive but thrive, Ms. Tollefson established the Woodlawn Community Academy, which today has over 100 students from grades K to 12. To date 8 graduating classes have transitioned from high school to either college or the workplace, taking advantage of dual enrollment and workplace training services offered on campus.

For several years, Woodlawn Community Academy searched for a new site for the school, centrally located in Pinellas County and able to better meet the needs of the diverse student population while providing room for growth. A potential site was identified in February 2014, only 6 months before the new school year would begin.

With a $1.6 million loan from FCLF, Woodlawn Academy was able to purchase land and 5 buildings in Pinellas County. Renovations have been carried out that include paint, flooring, enlarging classrooms, installing a playground and safety features, and upgrades, to professional standards, to the building's existing kitchen which will allow for on-site food services training. The community and parents showed their excitement about the new grounds and buildings, pitching in to paint and volunteer their time to get the building ready for school. In August 2014, the new school building opened its doors.

This new location will allow the school to continue serving special needs students and a low-income population in the vicinity, and give Woodlawn great visibility on a major highway, easily accessible to students throughout the County. The school can easily double its previous enrollment by maximizing the new location.

View more photos of Woodlawn Academy on our Flickr page.
For more information, visit www.woodlawnacademy.org