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Waters Center Makes Progress

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By JOSE PATINO GIRONA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 30, 2008

TAMPA HEIGHTS - The drilling, sanding and banging sounds like a sweet melody to Veronica Knight, principal at D.W. Waters Career Center.

Crews are rehabilitating the school's auditorium. They have added lights, air conditioning and a new stage floor. They have repaired the ceiling, widened the stairs to the stage, added metal doors for fire safety and encased six steel beams with drywall.

The auditorium will be painted, and work could be completed in February, said Mario Morales, supervisor for Morganti Group, the project contractor.

Knight said having a useable auditorium will unite students.

"Our school is not a family," she said. "There is no cohesion. It is a lot of disjointed pieces.

"It will give us an opportunity to bring the kids together," Knight said.

The school, 2704 N. Highland Ave., has about 275 students. It holds talent shows, fashion shows and forums in the cafeteria; the programs are held two or three times to accommodate all students. Graduation ceremonies have been held at Howard W. Blake High School, 1701 N. Boulevard.

The 2008 graduation will be held in the auditorium.

The center was built in 1910 as Hillsborough County High School. From 1939-67, it was Jefferson High, becoming a junior high in 1968 and later serving as school district offices.

The school district planned to board up the building or sell the property, but Jefferson alumnus lobbied for its restoration. The school was renovated in 2002 at a cost of $9 million. The auditorium, which had been used for physical education classes, basketball games, plays and dances during the Jefferson years, was not part of the project.

The career center, created in 1999, moved to the historical building in 2002 after the renovations. Serving sixth through 12th grades, it offers academic courses and vocational classes, including nursing assistant, landscape design, fashion design, culinary operations, electronics and business administration.

There also are teen parenting and dropout prevention programs.

The center houses the Jefferson Alumni Museum, which includes photos, yearbooks, outfits, flags and documents celebrating the school's history.

Knight said the auditorium restoration will cost the school district $950,000.

The second phase will include restoration of the rear of the stage and dressing rooms. Knight said she doesn't have a cost or timeline for that work.

The school is raising money for bolted seats that replicate the auditorium's original wood chairs.

Last year, it raised $7,500 from donations and the sale of the old auditorium chairs. If the school raises $50,000, the district will match it to cover the $100,000 cost, Knight said.

To donate, call Windell Roberson, the school's student intervention specialist, at (813) 233-2655, Ext. 244.

Reporter Jose Patino Girona can be reached at (813) 835-2110 or jpatino@tampatrib.com.

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