Pinellas County schools could see some drastic changes in the future to deal with declining enrollment.
During a school board workshop Thursday, Pinellas superintendent Kevin Hendrick discussed closing six elementary schools: Tarpon Springs Fundamental, Kings Highway, Blanton, Azalea, Bear Creek and Sexton; and another which serves grades six through 12: Lealman Innovation.
He also wants to convert some campuses into fundamental, magnet, or K-8 centers, and expand early learning programs.
"No one in the school district or the school board wants to close a school. However, we do have an obligation to balance the budget, to be competitive in the ever-changing landscape of school choice, and to ensure that the next generation of Pinellas County students have choices that are as good or better than the generation today,” Hendrick said.
He said the plan could save $25 million a year, while reducing unused student seats by nearly 5,000.
"Some trends that look at Pinellas County population and not just Pinellas County schools, and the future enrollment projections have played a role in what has led to this plan coming together,” Chief Operations Officer Jennifer Dull told the school board.
She said birth rates in the county have gone down, with 10,000 births back in 1990. And she said now, the number is less than half that.
Florida Health statistics go back to 2005. In 2006 there were 9,541 live births in the county. The chart shows 7,010 babies were born in Pinellas in 2024.
"Young people age five to 17 in Pinellas is expected to decrease or plateau through 2050,” Dull said, citing statistics from the University of Florida Bureau for Economic Business Research.
This plan already includes input from the community, but more meetings are being held at affected schools starting Monday.
The Pinellas school board will also take public comment in Largo September 22 with a vote expected October 13.
