Roughly 50 parents, students, teachers, and community members gathered on Wednesday at Tampa’s Rotary Riverfront Park to protest a plan by Hillsborough County Public Schools to close or restructure several public schools next year.

The most prominent concern centered on Pizzo K-8, a Tampa school located on the University of South Florida campus. Unlike other schools in the district facing closure due to low enrollment, Pizzo’s situation stems from a financial dispute with USF. Two years ago, negotiations for a new lease ended with a roughly 900% rent increase — from $60,000 per year, which the district had paid for three decades, to more than $500,000 annually. The new rate also includes a $1 million parking fee and annual university police security costs.

Hillsborough Schools Deputy Superintendent Chris Farkas previously described the negotiations as “adversarial,” calling the cost increase a “huge challenge” for a government entity that generates no revenue. After a recent school board vote, Pizzo’s elementary students would be reassigned to five nearby schools, while sixth through eighth graders would return to their zoned middle schools. The closures require a second board hearing before becoming final.

Pizzo serves a predominantly Black and Hispanic student population, with a majority receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Families at the rally described the school as a close-knit community that had been difficult to find elsewhere in the district. One parent said she had transferred her daughters through multiple schools due to bullying and overcrowding before enrolling them at Pizzo through the district’s Choice Hardship program.

A second school, Sulphur Springs K-8, also faces changes under the plan. The district intends to convert it back to an elementary school and reassign middle schoolers to three nearby campuses: Sligh, Memorial, and Woodson K-8. Parents there raised concerns about walkability and student safety, noting that sidewalks in the area are frequently flooded or in disrepair. The neighborhood is slated for infrastructure improvements, but that plan has not yet been implemented.

District officials say the closures and reassignments are intended to improve operational efficiency and expand opportunities for students by filling schools with available capacity. Community members at Wednesday’s rally questioned whether those benefits would outweigh the disruption to students and families.

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