TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County School district is set to consider changes to boundary lines and repurposing a dozen schools, all of which could impact where thousands of kids go to school this fall.
Three scenarios are being presented to the public for feedback. The changes are aimed at addressing overcrowding at some schools and the underutilization of others.
On Tuesday night, community members, parents and students voiced their concerns over the proposed changes at the Hillsborough County School Board meeting.
Their concerns ranged from students being moved to schools with lower ratings than the ones they're currently attending, to property value adjustments and the social impact on students changing schools while already having established friendships.
"Next year a handful of children from our neighborhood will be forced to attend significantly lower-rated schools if scenario two or three are approved," one parent said.
"This will significantly change my educational opportunities," fifth-grader Liam Smith said. "And I will lose all the friendships I've made in the past 6 years, not to mention having to leave all my sports teams!"
Many feel the school district is moving forward too quickly with these major decisions and not giving the public enough time to consider the proposals and provide feedback.
"If you truly want to engage the public, go to where they are and don't expect them to come to you," one parent said.
"This process seems very rushed and was launched over a school break. Allowing a longer time for a feedback period would be ideal," Michael Dehney, a parent at the meeting, said.
Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis told 10 Tampa Bay that the district is listening and may be prepared to adjust the feedback window.
"If the board feels that they need more accessibility to the community and more feedback, then we will adjust the timeline accordingly," Davis said. "This is why we're engaging in the community, to be able to listen and learn."
Meanwhile, informational sessions about the three proposals are being held at area high schools through Friday. There, parents are directed to submit comments and concerns online.
Davis will recommend a proposal to the school board at the end of February.
Last year, the district sent a note to parents outlining the problem. In the email, Davis pointed out that 24% of the schools are overcrowded, while 44% do not have enough students.
The district is also considering completely repurposing 12 schools, potentially changing them to become things like early learning centers or even teacher housing.
To address these concerns, the district is proposing three different scenarios that leaders say will help solve problems related to overcrowding and under-utilization through utilization extremes, facility optimization and "maximal repurposing."
The district released an interactive tool to see how your child could be affected by each proposal.
Visit the website here: www.hcps-boundary.org.
The following schools have been identified for possible repurposing:
- Adams Middle School
- Chamberlain High School
- Cleveland Elementary School
- Greco Middle School
- Jennings Middle School
- Just Elementary School
- Kimbell Elementary School
- Madison Middle School
- McLane Middle School
- Monroe Middle School
- Morgan Woods Elementary School
- Smith Middle School
Beginning this week, the district is holding 10 in-person community meetings where families, staff and others can view the boundary scenarios and provide online feedback.
The school board will also discuss the possibilities at a workshop on Jan. 31. The board is expected to vote on a decision in late February. The superintendent said the change could save the district $150 million and would not impact employment.
Any approved change would take effect for the 2023-2024 school year.