Castor secures $2 million for Family Community Center

Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Family Community Center will receive a major expansion after U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor secured $2 million in federal funding to grow tutoring, digital literacy and family support services in Tampa.

Castor announced the funding Tuesday alongside Hillsborough County School Board Member Nadia Combs and families who use the center, located at 5630 N. Lois Ave.

The investment, included in Castor’s FY26 community priority project requests, will help expand the Family Community Center beyond its current portable facility while adding new equipment, tutoring rooms, computer labs and flexible learning spaces.

Since opening in 2024, the FCC has provided more than 4,000 services to families across Hillsborough County, according to district officials.

The center functions as a centralized support hub connecting students and parents to tutoring, academic counseling, college and career advising, English-language learning resources, digital literacy training and access to technology. Families can also receive translation assistance and support navigating school systems and online education platforms.

Castor said the center’s rapid growth demonstrated a clear need for expanded services, particularly in underserved communities where families often struggle to access educational support and reliable technology.

“Since opening, the Family Community Center has become a trusted one-stop resource for families across Hillsborough County — connecting students and parents to tutoring, technology, college and career advice, ESOL services, academic counseling and much more,” Castor told the Catalyst. “The strong demand for services demonstrated a clear need to expand capacity, especially in underserved communities where families often face barriers to educational support and reliable access to technology.”

The funding will help increase access to laptops, Wi-Fi, technical support, translation services and digital literacy classes designed to help parents better communicate with teachers and navigate school platforms. The FCC also offers English language learner support and adult ESOL education classes serving bilingual and multilingual households across the county.

When asked how the new $2 million investment specifically improve access for underserved or bilingual families who rely on the center today, Castor responded: “The investment in expansion will improve access to laptops, Wi-Fi, technical support, translation services and digital literacy classes that help parents better navigate school platforms and communicate with teachers.”

She continued: “The FCC also provides English language learner support and adult ESOL education classes, which are especially important for bilingual and multilingual households.”

HCPS officials said a major focus moving forward will be improving early literacy and third-grade reading proficiency, widely viewed as one of the strongest indicators of long-term academic success.

The district also plans to track participation in tutoring and digital literacy initiatives, student engagement and broader academic progress among low-income students, English language learners and students with disabilities to measure the effectiveness of the expansion.

“A major focus will be on improving early literacy and third-grade reading proficiency — one of the strongest indicators of long-term academic success,” Castor said. “The district will also monitor participation in tutoring and digital literacy initiatives, student engagement and broader academic progress.”

The project became a priority because many Tampa Bay families continue to face challenges accessing educational resources and support systems.

“This project was a priority for the community because too many Tampa Bay families face challenges in accessing the educational resources and support systems that our students need to thrive,” Castor said. “It’s an investment in students, families and the long-term strength of Tampa Bay’s workforce and economy.”