Pinellas County Schools proposes closing 7 campuses over birthrate drop

LARGO, Fla. - Pinellas County Schools proposed closing seven schools and consolidating others as a falling birthrate leaves tens of thousands of empty classroom seats.

School closures Pinellas County

What we know:

District leaders unveiled plans to shut seven campuses and consolidate others to eliminate nearly 5,000 unused student seats and save $25 million annually. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said officials expect to save the money without laying off any teachers, continuing a trend from previous closures.

Some recommendations include:

• Expanding seat capacity at East Lake Middle School Academy of Engineering
• Relocating and renaming Azalea Middle
• Relocating Azalea Elementary School and transitioning it to a K-8 with an expanded zone
• Opening a fundamental K-5 on the Pinellas Park Elementary School campus

Enrollment drop local schools

The backstory:

Census data shows the birthrate in Pinellas County fell more than 25% over the past 35 years. That demographic shift created a steep drop in kindergarten enrollment, leaving the district holding more than 45,000 empty seats.

"We have to respond to that fiscally or we won't be able to have the excellent schools that we have," Hendrick said. "The tougher part is the emotional side of when you have a beloved institution that is changing. Whether that's consolidating, closing, repurposing, those things are emotional decisions and that takes time."

Parent concerns school consolidation

What they're saying:

 Parents expressed concern during earlier meetings about how the sudden adjustments would affect their children.

"I think there were a lot of parents that struggled with understanding what that meant for their kids and how they would adapt to it," parent Jessica Rodriguez said. "I think it's a big change for a lot of people, especially in the middle of, you know, like elementary school. If you're a third grader and your school's closed."

School board meeting schedule

What's next:

District officials plan to hold community meetings at all affected campuses through early October, alongside a public input session in Largo on Sept. 22. The school board will review feedback during an Oct. 6 workshop before taking a final vote on Oct. 13.