Ajax Partners with Largo High School through Executive PASS Program

The Council for Educational Change has created a program called Executive PASSGo to http://www.changeeducation.org/executive_pass_0 (Partnership to Advance School Success), teaming business leaders with school principals. This partnership is designed to improve and increase student performance with a special emphasis on leadership. Together the executive and principal create and implement a plan of activities like matched mentorship, college visits, credit recovery for failed classes as well as  incentives for attendance/behavior and grades. Currently, this program has around 120 teams in four counties (Broward, Duval, Miami-Dade, and Pinellas) and has the ongoing support of Publix Super Markets Charities and Raymond James Financial.

We recently have been paired with Principal Dr. Brad Finkbiner of Largo High School in Pinellas County. Ajax completed the new Largo campus in October 2017 with architects Harvard Jolly. The new Largo High School building was modeled after a college campus, with an emphasis on efficient transitions in between classes, safety and security, readiness for the technology of the next several decades and, most importantly, student achievement. The project included the construction of two new buildings totaling approximately 229,000 square feet and houses classrooms, a student union, 1,590 seat gymnasium, as well as a central energy plant. Renovations to the existing auditorium were also performed.

Ajax President, Bill Byrne, served on the School Advisory Council in addition to being the Project Executive on this job so the foundation of this partnership (and friendship) had previously been set. Bill and Brad already have a collective understanding of the school’s needs and with Lori Rice, Business Development Manager for Ajax, keeping the lines of communication open and flowing this team will accomplish great things!