Groundbreaking offers hope for Hope Academy children

It felt a bit like Mardi Gras today for children who attend Hope Academy. They got to participate in a parade at the site of what will eventually be their new school.

More than 100 people watched as 50 youngsters broke ground on that school this morning. The children wore bright yellow hard hats. And after the formal ceremony, they paraded around the grounds.

Construction on the 13,000 square foot campus has already started. Hope Academy is a private, non-denominational pre-K through 12th grade school. The principal talked about the excitement of seeing the children grow with the school.

The campus is located on Alphabet Road in Florence Gardens. That's off O'Neal Road in Gulfport.

The head of the Hope Academy board is Martin Goldin. He also oversees the subdivision's development. "Hope Academy approached us about a year ago," he said. "They knew that we had a site for a school, and we didn't have a school."

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