School of the Suncoast

Celebrating the Commitment of Community

“We chose RSF to be our lender because they understood
our mission and was willing to be flexible with us.”

The School of the Suncoast located in Clearwater, Florida, needed a larger facility for the projected rise in student enrollment. After more than a year of searching, planning, and negotiating, Suncoast finally located a nearby site that would enable them to expand, something they could not have done with their current lease. “It was critical to acquire the new site in order to add a grade for the following school year,” explained Deb Richardson, school administrator. “Otherwise, we would have lost our current fifth graders, something we were not willing to do.”

Another factor in acquiring the site at this time was rising property cost. Like many areas in the country, Pinellas County is getting more and more expensive and is expected to at least maintain its current value.

In an impressive show of community support, parents of Suncoast students and other community members responded in just two weeks to Suncoast’s appeal by pledging more than $200,000 over three years to ensure the school’s success. One of the parents, Carmen Jacaj, expressed her feelings this way: “School of the Suncoast is the heart of our community of friends, and extended family. Our daughter has flourished in its nourishing environment, and we want to ensure she has many, many happy years here. Supporting this pledge effort was an honor and a blessing!”

Barbara Bedingfield, founder, board president, and teacher, sees this as an important milestone for Suncoast: “The purchase of our own beautiful property is the culmination of 20 years work…This is truly a momentous time and truly an example of what can be created when people work together toward a common goal.”

The rest of the financing will come in large part from a loan from RSF. “We are proud to be a part of such an engaged community,” says Joe Glorfield, vice-president of RSF. “This example strengthens our experience that the success of organizations like Suncoast begins with individuals, Suncoast parents, and RSF investors, making important and conscious decisions about using their money for social benefit.”

Friday, June 30th, 2006