Charter school investment to improve fitness, instruction for elementary students
Team Success has completed a gym renovation at its Bradenton campus that provides climate-controlled indoor spaces for P.E. classes, school assemblies and extracurricular activities for elementary students.
The $250,000 renovation included priming and painting walls in the school colors, adding the school logo to walls and restoring the bleachers. The gym floor, which previously sustained water damage, also has been restored, coated with a polyurethane finish and lined with markings for basketball, volleyball and pickleball. Banners now line the gym’s walls, not to commemorate athletic championships, rather to celebrate the school’s A and B grades issued annually by the Florida Department of Education.
Team Success revealed the gym renovation to students on Feb. 27, followed by a showcase event to parents on March 3.
“This is more than just a gymnasium. This project represents a beacon of opportunity and school pride for our students,” said Team Success Founder Fred Spence. “Very few elementary schools in Manatee and Sarasota counties have indoor recreational spaces, and that’s incredibly important since heat, rainfall and lightning often cancel P.E. classes and outdoor activities.”
Originally built in 1953 as Bradenton Middle School, the building operated as a traditional public school until its closure in 1994. It reopened in 1997 as the Police Athletic League Academy Charter School, then rebranded in 2010 as Team Success. Since 2015, Team Success has earned all A or B grades from the Florida Department of Education.
Team Success operates a K-5 school at the Bradenton campus along with a 6-12 program at its Sarasota campus.
The gym renovation at the Bradenton campus is Team Success’ latest capital improvement project designed to improve safety, security and aesthetics. It recently spent $1 million on roof repairs to protect classrooms, offices and gathering spaces. Team Success has a 35-year lease on its Bradenton campus that runs through 2056.
“Team Success has been a fixture in this community for many years, and we’re here to stay,” said Spence. “Our school’s accomplishments are testaments that students from underserved communities can thrive if you empower them with a strong academic foundation to rise above challenges and adversity that come their way.”
Along with revealing the renovated gym, Team Success held a parent workshop on March 3 to announce fall registration opportunities and the creation of a parent organization. Administration also noted factors that distinguish Team Success from other schools, such as its Saturday program, kindergarten academy, peer tutoring program and collaborations with area businesses. To thank parents for partnering with teachers and being present in their child’s education, the school held a lively raffle in which parents claimed gift cards for retailers to purchase school supplies and restaurants to enjoy a family meal, as well as laptops and tablets for students to complete their school assignments. Additional prizes included flat-screen TVs, kitchen appliances and other electronics.
Team Success is currently enrolling students at all grade levels for the 2026-27 school year. Parents can visit TeamSuccessSchools.com for registration information or call 239-714-7260 (K-5 campus) or 941-444-4333 (6-12 campus) to request an application. Team Success is a tuition-free public charter school serving families in Manatee County.
About Team Success
Team Success: A School of Excellence is a highly rated charter school authorized by the School District of Manatee County to serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The school’s mission is to build an academic foundation that allows all students to achieve their highest potential, empower resilient individuals, celebrate academic successes and enable students to thrive in their future. Established in 1997 as the Police Athletic League Academy Charter School, Team Success is among the longest tenured charter schools in Florida and operates a K-5 campus in Bradenton and 6-12 campus in Sarasota. The school’s core values include community, integrity, success, growth, safety, collaboration, inspiration and reliance. For more information or to register, please visit TeamSuccessSchools.com.
