Patel Elementary — Creating ‘Pioneers’ For A Better & Brighter Future

By NIDHI JANI Neighborhood News Corespondent

In about ten days, on May 25, Dr. Kiran C. Patel Elementary — or, as it’s commonly called, Patel Elementary — will complete its inaugural academic year.

“We’re happy to be coming to a close on a successful first year,” says Patel Elementary principal Ashley Galfond. “We maintained our teachers and had very little turnover of students. We have a large waiting list of students and we’re excited to expand to 3rd grade for the next (202324) school year.”

Patel Elementary is a Hillsborough County K-5 charter elementary. It shares the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Campus for Innovative Learning — a 32 acre campus located near the intersection of I-75 and E. Fowler Ave. in Temple Terrace — with Terrace Community Middle School and Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School (Patel High), two charter secondary schools.

Patel Elementary started the 2022-23 with 270 students in kindergarten, first and second grade. Next year, this year’s second graders will become its first class of third graders. Adding one grade per year, the school will incrementally grow its staff and resources over the next three years and plans to finish expanding by the 2025-26 academic year, when the plan is to reach its capacity of 652 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

“We’re a tuition-free, public charter school of choice, with teachers certified in early childhood and elementary education,” Galfond explains. “We’re sponsored by the Hillsborough School District and we are publicly funded based on our full-time equivalent (FTE) of enrolled students. We follow Florida’s statutes and guidelines like other schools, but we also have [additional structure with] a Board of Directors, which allows us to take more control and provide a more supportive learning environment.”

Galfond is well versed in the local educational system. She earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida (USF) and a Master of Education (M.Ed) degree in educational leadership from Florida Atlantic University before working as a teacher and administrator for 17 years in the Hillsborough County Public Schools system.

Galfond, who previously was the assistant principal at Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms before coming to Patel Elementary, said that while she previously had positive experiences with charter school education herself, it was really founder Dr. Kiran Patel’s mission and vision for Patel Elementary that inspired her to accept her current position.

“All three of my children went to a charter school, so my first experience with charter schools was as a parent,” says Galfond. “But, it was really reading Dr. Patel’s mission and vision for the school that persuaded me to take on this role.”

Dr. Patel & His Vision

Dr. Patel, who was a successful cardiologist before becoming a highly accomplished businessman and philanthropist, is passionate that education should be accessible to all and that rigorous education in the formative years is crucial for lifelong success. But, education is not just limited to academics.

Patel Elementary stresses that education should address the needs of the whole child, balancing “social emotional learning” equally with “rich academic instruction.” A major component of this approach is project-based learning.

“We give our learners dedicated project time,” Galfond says. “We start with a question or a problem in society to get everyone invested. Then, our teachers craft projects in different subject areas.”

The school partners with local organizations to bring awareness to societal issues and encourage involvement in the community. In November and December, the children worked with Metropolitan Ministries, collecting food and holding fund-raising activities to support the homeless during the holiday season. The kindergartners held a Candy Cane drive, in which they attached personalized greetings to candy canes for their loved ones and raised more than $1,000.

Currently, Patel Elementary students are working with members of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, to make toys for homeless pets, create and repurpose stuffed animals, run a pet supply drive, and more.

So, what’s next for Patel Elementary? Galfond says the school is applying to Cambridge Assessment International Education, the largest global community of schools, backed by the University of Cambridge (in England), to teach their Cambridge Primary international curriculum. This will help the elementary parallel Patel High, which already is a Cambridge school. In the future, Patel Elementary also plans to require parents to complete a minimum of 15 volunteer hours during the school year.

“Our job is to create a supportive environment,” shares Galfond. “Once children feel safe, learning and behavior are enhanced. We have to give our children a safe space to feel loved and valued in the classroom and community.”

Dr. Kiran C. Patel Elementary is located at 10739 Raulerson Ranch Rd. in Temple Terrace. To apply online for the 2023-24 school year, visit PatelElementary. org. There is no residential requirement to attend the school and children are selected by a random lottery system. For more information, call (813) 444-0660.