Tampa Preparatory School

Tampa Preparatory School is a 6–12 private, co-educational middle and high college-preparatory school in Tampa, Florida, United States. It was established in 1974.

Tampa Preparatory School
Address
727 West Cass Street Tampa , Florida 33606 United States
Coordinates	27°57′4″N 82°28′5″W
Information
Type	Private, middle and high college-preparatory school
Motto	More than just a college preparatory school... a preparation for life with a higher purpose than self
Established	1974 (1974)
Head of school	Kevin M. Plummer[1]
Grades	6–12
Gender	Co-educational
Color(s)	Red and Gold
Athletics conference	FHSAA
Accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Website	www.tampaprep.org

The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Florida Council of Independent Schools, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the College Board, the Secondary School Admissions Test Board, the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, the Southern Association of College Admissions Counseling, and the Educational Records Bureau.

History

Tampa Preparatory School was established in 1974, with George Wolfenden as Headmaster. Joe Wandke was the Headmaster at the School from 1979 to 1983, before he left for Pebble Beach, California, to become the President at the Robert Louis Stevenson School until 2015. In 1991 seventh and eighth grades were added and in 1997 the school began offering classes for the 6th grade. In 2002 the school moved to its new site across the street from the University of Tampa, whose campus it once shared.

Campus

The school's 11.2-acre (45,000 m²) campus includes a 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m²) school complex including a 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m²) sports complex. Both the Middle and Upper Schools feature Active Learning Environments (ALEs).^[2] The Peifer Library houses over 12,000 books and periodicals. Tampa Preparatory School opened a new Student Center in January 2013. In May 2023, Tampa Preparatory School began constructing the Genshaft & Greenbaum Building of Learning & Discovery (BOLD), a four-story complex set to become the central hub of the campus. It is scheduled to be completed in late Fall 2024.

Athletics

Tampa Prep is a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association and fields teams in sports including lacrosse, baseball, bowling, cross-country, swimming and diving, crew, volleyball, soccer, basketball, track and field, golf, tennis, wrestling, and softball.

Notable alumni

• Jay Bowie, professional basketball player
• Santiago Castañeda, professional soccer player
• Chris Colwill, U.S. Olympic diver^[3]
• Andrew Samuels, professional soccer player
• Casey Sanders, professional basketball player