Sara Capwell has been named as the founding principal of Innovation Preparatory Academy (inPrep), the first K-8 school under construction within the campus of Metro Development Group’s Connected City in Pasco County.

With more than 26 years of educational and leadership experience, Capwell is well-suited to start-up this innovative new school having most recently opened the highly successful Waterset Charter Academy in Apollo Beach. That school in Hillsborough County earned an “A” this past school year for excellence in education as well as for its commitment to impacting the community through service.

The focus of Innovation Preparatory Academy is Wellness, Innovation, Science and Health (WISH) with Capwell hoping to introduce a notable health partner in the weeks ahead. Facilitating this new partnership could allow for on-site immunizations including flu shots, internships to onsite health clinics, health-focused guest speakers and student leadership days that are tied directly to health and wellness.

Developed by Tampa-based Metro Development Group in partnership with Red Apple Development and Pasco County School District, inPrep is part of the newly launched Connected City that encompasses two Metro Places communities, Epperson and Mirada. These communities are well-known for featuring multi-acre Crystal Lagoon amenities. Aside from the Lagoons, Metro brings its exclusive ULTRAFi high-speed internet to this area which serves as the framework for inPrep’s connectivity, enabling it to become one of the most technologically-advanced schools in the area. Students will be provided with 1:1 iPads in grades 3^rd through 8^th and the school will include a unique flexible seating component that provides collaborative workspaces, varying desk heights, non-traditional seating arrangements and wobble-boards. Students will gather into a large community each morning, then break out into separate rooms for individual and small collaborative learning opportunities.

“I am so excited to be part of such an innovative and uniquely focused school,” said Capwell. “Every moment of each school day is focused on social and emotional well-being, health, nutrition and fitness. The WISH program allows us to incorporate a concentrated wellness focus into our proven educational model from Charter Schools USA. We will be able to provide high level academics with integrated social, emotional and physical wellness components that students will benefit from on many levels.”

Capwell earned an Associate and Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration of study around elementary education, music, reading and science from University of Central Florida. She attained her Master of Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida. She continued post graduate studies there as well as at Liberty University in Virginia and University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. She earned her doctorate degree in leadership with a focus on teacher efficacy in charter schools from Liberty University.

Innovation Preparatory Academy serves students in grades K-8. It will open initially as a K-6 and will add grades each subsequent year. It is part of the Charter Schools USA Inc. (CSUSA) family of schools and is governed by Florida Charter Educational Foundation, which includes local community leaders who volunteer their expertise to providing excellent educational options for students. Founded by Jonathan Hage in 1997, CSUSA is one of the largest and highest performing education management companies in the United States serving more than 70,000 students and employing more than 8500 educators. Each year more than 10,000 students are on waiting lists. CSUSA is the first education management company to receive corporation system-wide accreditation through Cognia, so every school managed by CSUSA automatically earns accreditation within its first year of operation. In the state of Florida, CSUSA would be considered an “A” district and its high school’s average graduation rate of 93 percent exceeded the state average of 87 percent in 2019. In the 2020-2021 school year, CSUSA will operate nearly 100 schools in five states. Its data-driven education model assures every student receives differentiated learning to reach individual goals and achieve high academic, social and emotional success. CSUSA’s guaranteed and viable curriculum ensures every student has access to approved curriculum that complies to state standards and appropriate time is provided to achieve those standards. This sets students up for long-term success and provides educators with easily accessible tools to customize their learning plans to help every student excel. CSUSA schools often outperform their district school counterparts in nearly every category.

Enrollment for inPrep Academy is underway. Those interested may apply online at www.inPrepcharter.org.