ONTARIO, Calif. - Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, Florida's largest credit union and the eighth largest credit union in the country, has joined the Co-Op Network.

According to a news release, the addition of Suncoast Schools and its 175 ATMs boosts Co-Op Network's membership to five of the ten largest credit unions in Florida and a statewide fleet of 1,568 surcharge-free ATMs.

Originally founded in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, $4.4 billion Suncoast Schools FCU ultimately expanded its field of membership to include public and private school employees from 14 counties, in addition to more than 800 select employer groups. Suncoast Schools FCU has 37 branches along Florida's west coast to serve its 353,000 members.

"The sheer size of our membership makes it particularly important to work with a national organization like Co-Op Network," said Suncoast Schools FCU CEO Tom Dorety. "We can now utilize CO-OP Network surcharge-free ATM locations to augment our existing fleet while also providing an expanded network of deposit-taking ATMs for our members." 

With the addition of Suncoast Schools FCU, 33 of the nation's 50 largest credit unions are now Co-Op Network members.