Florida School Unveils New Building for Students with Dyslexia

Middle school students began classes on Monday at the newly constructed building at Roberts Academy, a private school for students with dyslexia, reports The Ledger. Students in sixth through eighth grade have their own building apart from two other buildings used by students in second through fifth grade.

Founded in 2010 and located on the campus of Florida Southern College, the school is the only transitional elementary school in Florida dedicated to students with dyslexia, Head of School Kim Kelley told the Ledger. The school uses the Orton-Gillingham Approach for teaching language comprehension to students with dyslexia. The school has 145 students and 75 are in grades six through eight.

Construction on the new building began in March, after the school began remote classes for the rest of the school year. The fall semester began on Aug. 24 with in-person classes, but the new building wasn’t ready until Monday.

Blue, red and yellow primary colors are found throughout the two-story building. The new building has a bigger cafeteria than the original building, but it isn’t in use yet due to COVID-19 precautions. On the second floor, the school will eventually have an information technology room with the science lab in the adjoining room. In addition, the school has new smart boards in each classroom.  

“It’s beautiful,” Marissa Smith told The Ledger. “I’m so excited to have the space and a place where middle school can really feel like it’s their own and thrive and grow and learn.”

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Stanford Online Reveals New Immersive Learning Studio

    Stanford Online recently marked its 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new immersive learning studio, according to a university news release. The studio takes advantage of AI-powered and immersive learning technologies to continue delivering personalized and faculty-led education.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.