Pasco unveils plan to close, revamp schools in struggling west county
Reported byBeacon Media
AI-assisted summary
Pasco County school district leaders have introduced a plan called Elevate 34668, aimed at three elementary schools in the Port Richey area of west county. The schools are Fox Hollow, Gulf Highlands and Schrader. Over 14 years they have collectively earned six F's, nine D's and 24 C's in state grading, and each is below capacity, at roughly 56% to 67%. The article says each has lost about 30 to 50 students a year over a number of years.
Superintendent John Legg presented the proposal to staff and parents on Thursday. It would close Fox Hollow, the oldest of the three and the one needing the most building work according to Legg, and rezone its students to Gulf Highlands, Schrader or Chasco K-8. Schrader would become a science, technology, engineering, arts and math program aligned with nearby Bayonet Point Middle. Gulf Highlands would become Highlands Exploratory Academy with a career exploration focus. Legg also suggests moving the West Pasco Education Academy to the former Calusa Elementary site, then inviting proposals to lease, sell or otherwise use empty district buildings through a non-binding process with community review.
Board members are scheduled to discuss the plan Tuesday. They said they do not want to close neighborhood schools but acknowledged enrollment pressures. Board members Jessica Wright and Megan Harding each said they have questions to be answered before they support it. Legg said more actions are likely in future years if trends continue.
Why it matters
Families at the three schools could see a closure, rezoning and new program themes, while staff and taxpayers may be affected by how the district uses its buildings. The plan also shows how falling enrollment and state policy shifts are pushing districts toward difficult facility decisions.
- School closures
- Enrollment decline
- Attendance boundaries
- Board policy
- School vouchers
- Career and technical education
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- How should the district weigh academic results, building conditions and neighborhood ties when deciding whether to close a school?
- What information would families in the affected area want before the board votes on rezoning and new school programs?
- How should the community be involved in deciding what happens to empty school buildings?
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