Pinellas decides on a name for its new middle school in St. Petersburg
The Pinellas County school district has a name for the new middle school it plans to open next year in northeast St. Petersburg.
The school board on Tuesday unanimously agreed on Mangrove Bay Middle School, which incorporates the name of the neighborhood surrounding it. The 19-acre campus is under construction on the former site of Riviera Middle on 62nd Avenue N at Pershing Street NE.
The name was among 150 suggestions submitted by members of the public in December.
The district is developing the school as part of a unique partnership with the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg. It will double as a “health and wellness leadership” magnet for 600 students and a facility to be known as the Speer YMCA, named in recognition of the Speer Foundation’s support.
Features in the school portion include 15 classrooms, an art room, a family science lab, a music room and four rooms for exceptional student education, according to a district news release.
The Speer YMCA will offer a fitness center with cardio and strength equipment, exercise studios, a cycling studio, a lap pool, and a splash pad and playground, along with other features.
The school and the YMCA will share several features, including a media center, a dining hall, a gymnasium and a sports field.
The YMCA portion is scheduled to open near the end of 2023 and the school is set to open in August 2024, in time for the 2024-25 academic year.
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