Tampa Bay students turn to innovative AI platform for personalized support
- Mark Parker
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
While classrooms across the nation are slamming the door on artificial intelligence, dozens of Tampa Bay schools are rolling out the red carpet for a specialized breed of the cutting-edge tech.
A new end-of-school-year report highlights how AI is beginning to reshape classrooms across the region. However, students in 29 schools aren’t asking ChatGPT for answers - they’re using Tampa-based Scholar Education’s innovative platform, which uses dogs as mascots, for one-on-one support.
The rapidly expanding educational technology startup created BaxterBot to provide real-time, personalized support tailored to each student’s unique learning profile. PAWfessor Bruce helps teachers create standards-aligned lessons in minutes and assists with several other daily tasks.
Together, the virtual assistants, modeled after actual Bernedoodle dogs who often visit classrooms, are having a profound impact on area schools. According to Scholar Education, students with questions reached out to BaxterBot 241,879 times in the 2025-26 academic year rather than waiting for a teacher.
“It does help, and I get excited about it because they seem excited about it,” said Amy McBride, a teacher at Pepin Academies. “Sitting down and doing a worksheet is different when they’re so computer-driven now. It’s who the generation is - it’s all computer-driven and AI-driven.”
Scholar Education’s AI tools began entering Tampa Bay classrooms in the 2023-24 school year. The startup has since expanded exponentially.
BaxterBot and PAWfessor Bruce are now in 24 traditional public and charter schools throughout Pasco County. Pepin Academies, which operates tuition-free, special education-focused campuses in Tampa, Riverview, and New Port Richey, also utilizes the technology.
BaxterBot serves as a private tutor by explaining concepts and answering questions throughout the day. The platform can translate 179 languages, provide adaptive responses based on reading levels, and includes safeguards and guardrails to deliver personalized support responsibly.
Teachers use PAWfessor Bruce to assist with grading, lesson planning, and administrative tasks, which allows them to spend more time with students. The platform also tracks performance, engagement, and growth in real time across classes, subjects, and school years.
“ChatGPT gives you the answers out front,” said Roman Geiger, an 11th-grade student at Pepin Academies. “But I think BaxterBot doesn’t really tell you everything; it helps you learn. It doesn’t just give you the answers right away.”
The technology’s greatest impact was felt in special education settings. Many families seeking associated accommodations face wait times of 12 to 18 months, and about 25% of students who need specialized support never receive it, according to the report.
Scholar Education’s tools helped immediately deliver 40,000 special education accommodations with AI during the 2025-26 school year. That represents a 29-fold year-over-year increase.
By the end of the academic year, Scholar Education’s AI tools in Tampa Bay:
Helped provide 18,235 students access to AI-powered tutoring support
Saved teachers over 5,150 hours of administrative work
Saved families an estimated $200,000 to $385,000 when compared to traditional private tutoring services
Reached 1,400 teachers across partner schools in Pasco and Hillsborough Counties
In the next school year, Scholar Education plans to expand into Pinellas County, reach over 5,000 teachers, and support more than 50,000 students. The startup will also launch Scholar Health, a new initiative that provides Tampa Bay families with faster and more affordable access to special education evaluations and support plans.
The company noted that predictions in the educational technology industry “all point in the same direction: AI is moving from a classroom novelty to core infrastructure.” Nicole Roberts, customer success manager, wrote that the “tools that last will be the ones that amplify teachers instead of trying to replace them.”
“That is the lane Scholar has been in from the start,” she added. “We did not point a general-purpose AI at a classroom and hope.”
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