Downtown school to stay open during RNC

For about 200 kids, they love coming to Carlton Academy Day school in Tampa, every day.

But in less than a month, their parents may be less than thrilled.

It's the week of the Republican National Convention, and the school is staying open.

The potential problem lies in the fact that the school sits right in the middle of the staging area for the protestors' parade route.

"This whole area is going to be a staging area," said school director Alisandra McGuiness as she looked out onto Brush Street.

On three sides of her building, protestors will be gathering, waiting to march down the street, on the way towards the Forum and the site of the convention.

McGuinness says they have been trying for months to get information out of the Mayor's Office.

"It started to get contentious between us and the Mayor's office, not necessarily the Mayor, but as far as sending emails asking for assistance and direction, to the Mayor's office," she explained.

A few weeks ago, they starting getting some information

"Then maybe three weeks ago, when we felt we were down to the wire—we had parents who were getting more and more assertive in their desire to get information—we finally got some answers," she said.

School leaders say they have to stay open to help their parents.

"These are parents who are working. These kids, 98 percent of them, are here from early morning until close to 5 and 6 everyday. Their parents are working, their parents have a livelihood, they have to maintain," McGuinness said.

Shannon Callan says that's why she's planning to drop 1 ½ year old Claire and 3 ½ year old Nora off that week.

"The children will be here at school, because both of us work full time. So we're going to have to do drop off and fight the traffic like everybody else that works downtown," Callan said.

The school has been told there will be plenty of police presence that week.

And the school staff expects most of the protestors will be more interested in getting to the Forum than bothering them.

The school has security plans well in place already. Parents feel the school will do everything to keep the kids safe.

"I'm obviously concerned with their safety but we feel that they're very safe here at Carlton Academy," Callan said.