Tice Elementary is nominated for a People’s Choice Award from the Florida Foundation for Architecture. Parker, Mudgett, Smith Architects, which designed the schools most recent renovations in 2010, nominated the school for this award.
Tice was built in 1927 with two floors above a basement, 16 classrooms and an auditorium. It immediately became a center of the community and has stayed as such since. During the Great Depression hot meals were served from the school. For decades after that, the grounds were open as a park on weekends. In 1960 the school served as a shelter for 300 people seeking refuge from Hurricane Donna. In the 1970’s after pumps were added to keep the basement dry the school served meals to seniors and opened an adult education center.
The school has been renovated several times since opening. The first in 1945 repaired the exterior and upgraded portions of the lower classroom floor. Screens on doors and windows were provided as ventilation for the basement level that also aided in cooling the upper floors. A free-standing food service building was constructed in 1955 behind the original building. A staff parking lot was added in 1958. A major $3 million renovation project took place in 1987. The exterior of the main building was restored to the original appearance and classrooms were upgraded to current standards. In 2010 and even larger renovation project improved every are of the campus. A 56,500 sq. ft. single story addition was constructed behind the historic building housing administration, art, music, media center, classrooms, ancillary spaces, food service, and a cafetorium.
Voting to support Tice Elementary for People’s Choice Award is open until midnight on June 29th. You can vote as many times as you like between now and then. Support Tice by voting now at https://floridapeopleschoice.org/building.cfm/0336/.
