Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor has unveiled a plan to fortify an elementary school in the historically Black neighborhood of Newtown against a possible takeover by a charter school.
The idea is to partner with Junior Achievement, a national nonprofit organization that specializes in youth financial literacy, and build a new center at Booker Elementary, where kids can learn business and money skills.
The school is operating at 45% of capacity, Connor told several dozen people — including parents, teachers, community members and children — at a meeting at nearby Booker Middle School on Tuesday.
That’s why Booker Elementary was among three schools in the county to receive notices from Mater Academy, a charter school chain based in Miami, saying it intends to set up its own school in that empty space…