History

Tampa Bay International School began as a Spanish immersion after school program and summer camp in 2019. We proudly welcomed our school’s inaugural class of 14 students in the Fall of 2020. After a successful first year, TBIS has enjoyed steady growth over the past two school years. Current enrollment now stands at 34 students. Our school has more than doubled in size, with additional students and families that share our passion for a global approach to learning. 

Tampa Bay International School was founded by Bennett Zamoff, a veteran educator who recognized the need for an independent Spanish immersion school in Tampa Bay. Bennett began his 27-year educational career in the Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools, where he worked with elementary school students in a Spanish immersion program for over four years. He has since taught abroad, in Quito, Ecuador, and in exemplary  institutions including Washington International School in Washington, DC and Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Bennett holds master’s degrees in Education K-8 from the University of Maryland, College Park and a second master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in TESOL from Trinity University in Washington, DC.

Bennett is not just our Head of School. He is able to build strong relationships with our students by also serving as a Lead Teacher. He’s a school parent too. Bennett’s oldest child is a graduate of TBIS and his youngest child is currently a Tampa Bay International School student.

“This is the school I always dreamed of. It didn’t exist, so I opened it. I felt a calling to do something positive to change the world. I wanted a Spanish immersion school because fluency in more than one language is a 21st century skill that all students need to acquire. I wanted a small school, because I believe that small schools are best positioned to nurture and challenge students in ways that are impossible to do in larger schools.”

— Bennett Zamoff, Head of School