TAMPA, Fla. — Nearly a month after Hurricane Milton tore through the Tampa Bay area, parts of the community are still recovering from the extensive damage it left behind. Among the hardest-hit is Hillel Academy, a local school facing more than half a million dollars in repairs.
Empty Hallways and Adaptations at Hillel Academy
At Hillel Academy, usually filled with students, empty hallways and classrooms have become the new reality. As a non-profit in Hillsborough County, the school suffered severe structural damage, significantly impacting its operations.
Roof Damage Leads to Widespread Water Issues
“The damage included a portion of our roof in the middle school building coming off,” said Amy Basham, principal of teaching and learning. “It was lying in front of our gym, and as a result, an extensive amount of water damage occurred in the building.”
Temporary Classrooms Disrupt Regular Operations
Inside a small conference room, Joshua Ackman now conducts math lessons—far removed from the usual classroom setting. “Part of our budget relies on organizations who rent out this space in the evenings or weekends,” Ackman explained. “We have not been able to do that because it’s being used as a temporary middle school space.”
Financial Constraints Hamper Restoration Efforts
Despite ongoing cleanup, students have yet to return to their classrooms, and repairs have yet to begin. “It is often a misunderstanding that as an independent day school we have lots of discretionary funding,” Ackman added. “The truth is that we don’t have available funds to cover these unexpected costs.
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