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New school coming to Tampa will be driven by artificial intelligence

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Published  May 8, 2025 5:38pm EDT
Artificial Intelligence
FOX 13 News
New school coming to Tampa will be driven by artificial intelligence

New school coming to Tampa will be driven by artificial intelligence

FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.

The Brief

    • A new school coming to Tampa this fall will be driven by artificial intelligence.
    • Instead of traditional teachers, AI is used by the Alpha School.
    • Alpha Schools have allowed some kids to complete full grades in less than 80 days.

TAMPA - A new K-8 school coming to Tampa this fall is driven by artificial intelligence.

"In this model, it’s not about being smart," MacKenzie Price, co-founder of Alpha School, said. "It's about getting the level and pacing of material that works for each student."

The backstory:

With existing locations in Texas and Miami, Alpha School uses artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize curriculum for each individual student. It’s set to open on N Dale Mabry Highway in Carrollwood in the Fall of 2025. 

"As a result, our students are able to learn twice as fast in only a couple of hours a day compared to students that are in a traditional classroom where they’re doing academics all day," Price told FOX 13 on Thursday.  

The school day begins at 9 a.m. and dismissal is at 3:30 p.m. For the first two hours of the school day, Alpha School students use computers and AI to learn traditional subjects at their own pace. 

"The AI tutor is able to recognize, hey, this student is struggling a little bit with fractions, because we need to go back and review the multiplication table. And so they're able to do that. Meanwhile, another student who, again, is maybe advanced and can go very quickly, the AI tutor realizes, okay, this student can go at a much faster pace," Price said. 

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There are no teachers delivering traditional lectures, Price explained. Instead, she said, educators serve as motivators, guiding students as they go through an individualized curriculum that’s tailored to them. 

"Let's say we're trying to learn a new concept. It might take me 15 reps of this concept before I finally understand that. And you, it might only take five reps. And so, there's no reason that you should have to sit through a standard 10 reps when it only takes you five. And it wouldn't serve me well to go through 10 reps when I need 15," Price said. "And so that's really the key that we've been able to find out."

In the afternoon, students attend workshops aimed at teaching them life skills. 

"For example, our fifth and sixth grade students this year have created and managed a food truck," Price said. "Last year, they did an Airbnb. We do a lot of entrepreneurial activities there."

Price acknowledged that some might not agree with this education model, which includes focusing on a computer for set time periods. 

What they're saying:

"There are parents out there who just fundamentally believe you have to have a teacher standing in front of a classroom teaching a group of students," she explained. 

According to Price, Alpha Schools have allowed some kids to complete full grades in less than 80 days. 

"And that's the beauty of personalized learning, which finally, artificial intelligence allows us to do," Price said. 

What's next:

For this upcoming school year, Price told FOX 13 the new Alpha School in Tampa will be located inside the Redline Athletics building on N Dale Mabry Hwy in Carrollwood. 

The plan is to move into a more permanent location down the line. 

Alpha Tampa is now accepting applications. Interested parents and students should click here for more information. 

The Source: FOX 13 reporter Ariel Plasencia gathered the information for this story.

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