Palm Harbor K-8 charter school proposal raises traffic, environmental concerns among nearby residents

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - You may have seen a "pending" sign on the corner of Alderman and Belcher roads in Palm Harbor. The property may soon be home to a new K-8 public charter school.

Every morning, Mike Malley and his wife, Tina, enjoy a cup of coffee on their front porch at their home.

"We do farming out here. We've raised our kids out here. We've let our dogs enjoy the environment, as you can see behind us; the environment is what's beautiful out here," said Malley.

But Malley says his front yard view may disappear if the proposed school is built. It would be located right next to Sutherland Elementary.

Discovery Academy of Science — recognized as a school of excellence by the state — is currently under contract for the property.

Demand growing for more charter school options

The backstory:

According to the academy, there continues to be a strong demand for additional high-quality public school options in Pinellas County.

Discovery Academy of Science previously operated in Dunedin for many years before relocating its primary campus to Clearwater. The school continues to maintain significant waitlists, with 1,054 applicants for the upcoming school year as of May 28, 2026.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the academy told FOX 13 in part: "The goal of the proposed campus is to expand access to the school’s STEM-focused K–8 program to more families. And the property is being evaluated because of its location relative to families currently served by the school."

Traffic and development concerns

"Traffic has already been crazy with backups in and out on Belcher Road," said Malley. "With a proposed charter school, it's going to double or triple with what we're hearing."

In response, a spokesperson for the academy says they understand traffic is likely a primary concern for residents, so a professional traffic study is currently underway and will be reviewed through the county process.

Proposed site and building plans

The current concept under evaluation includes:

• A two-story school building
• Approximately 4 to 5 buildable acres within the larger site area
• On-site parking, internal vehicle circulation nearly one mile long, stormwater retention, and buffering
• A potential opening timeframe of August 2028, if approvals are ultimately obtained

Residents question zoning rules

What they're saying:

Russ Fernandes has lived for more than 45 years in the Alderman Residential Rural Overlay, which Pinellas County designated as protected land zoned for one home for every two acres. The proposed school is located within the overlay.

"We found out the recent Florida statutes empowering charter schools mean they can go anywhere they want, and the county commission and school boards have zero say," said Fernandes. "They're basically exempt from zoning requirements, and we're trying to see what we can do to preserve what the county already recognized in 2006 as a unique area worth saving."

"This, I feel, is just overreaching," said Malley. "Allowing charter schools to do whatever they want to and losing control for counties and school boards."

Public community input meetings

What's next:

The project is currently in the planning and review process.

Traffic, environmental, drainage, engineering and site feasibility studies are currently underway. According to the academy, no final development approvals have been granted.

The academy is planning to hold a public community meeting in July for residents to ask questions and share feedback with the project team.