Getting Down to Business

At Villages High, a charter school created by a developer and surrounded by a Florida retirement community, academics aren't the only bottom line.

By Ulrich Boser

Early on a Wednesday morning last November, two high school juniors in uniform polo shirts stood in front of a large classroom at The Villages High School. As a shaft of central-Florida sunshine spread across the floor in a long rectangle, they presented a business plan for a mock pet-photography company called Top Dog.

“The residents here love their pets. They do anything for their animals. [Pets] are like their children,” Stephanie Park said, nervously fingering the seam of her khaki pants. “We have an advantage over other businesses in the area because there’s not much competition.”

As the two students stood up front, shifting anxiously from foot to foot, business instructor Cindi Van Nostrand read through their proposal and asked questions. For a few moments, they discussed Top Dog’s potential clientele: the pets of older, difficult-to-please residents, seen by appointment only. “Really, your challenges would be retaining employees and meeting the needs of the...