Nationally ranked, tuition-free public schools in Florida.
IDEA Tampa Bay is actively engaging with the local community, recruiting students for our 2022-23 academic year, developing school sites, and recruiting top-notch principals, educators, and operations team members for future schools. Cultivating communication partnerships, champions, and advocates that will enable IDEA Tampa Bay to most effectively provide a high-quality education to students as they progress along the road to and through college is a top priority in our new region.
The next step in joining IDEA is completing a paper application or submitting it online via STREAM. You may choose to apply to multiple IDEA Tampa Bay schools and submit one application per child. Any family can submit an application at any time.
As a public charter school, enrollment is determined through a random lottery selection process. If our schools receive more applications than available seats, student names will be placed in a lottery and randomly selected.
As required by Florida law, students from persistently low-performing (PLP) public schools and opportunity zones will be given enrollment preference, as well as siblings of currently enrolled students.
Lottery priorities are listed below:
Ready to apply? Click the button below to get started.
In 2021, IDEA Tampa Bay will be home to four schools.
In 2021, we will serve a total of 960 students between our academy and college prep campuses. We will open with grades K-2 & 6, and will grow to serve grades K-12 when fully scaled.
Since IDEA’s first graduating class in 2007, 100% of our seniors have been accepted to colleges and universities nationwide.
Through small learning groups and daily access to technology, every student learns at the level and speed just right for them.
Our teachers bring subject matter expertise and an unwavering commitment to set each student on a path to success.
Our school is family. Parents, teachers, and administrators work as a team to help each student reach their full potential.
IDEA believes a quality K – 12 public education is the key to success in college and life and is committed to helping every student achieve their own success. Personalized learning, critical thinking skills, mastery of core subjects and continued support through college is IDEA’s recipe for success.
We are a looking for hard-working, talented individuals to help make college a reality for all children in the Tampa Bay region. From the classroom to transportation and everything in between – your work will directly deliver on IDEA’s mission.
2115 W. Pike Blvd.
Weslaco, TX 78596
Main: (956) 377-8000
Fax: (956) 447-3796
As required by Title IX, IDEA Public Schools does not (and is required not to) discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs or activities. This non-discrimination requirement applies to admission to and employment with IDEA Public Schools. Inquiries into issues related to Title IX may be referred to IDEA’s Title IX Coordinator(s) (identified below), to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education, or both.
All Title IX Complaints should be emailed to: titleixconcern@ideapublicschool.org. The Title IX Coordinator for allegations involving only students is Israel Ybarra, VP of School Development. The Title IX Coordinator for allegations involving only employees, or employees in relation to students, is Harold Schuman, Director of Human Resources Investigations.
IDEA Public Schools National Board Members: Collin Sewell – Chair, Ed Rivera – Vice-Chair and Treasurer, Ryan Vaughan – Secretary, Reba Cardenas McNair, David Earl, Erich Holmsten, Michael Adams, Gary Lindgren, Ovidio Vitas, Theresa Barrera-Shaw.