Tag: Pinellas County Schools
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Pinellas County school board leaders are moving forward with the district’s “plan for progress.” The plan closes some schools, consolidates others, and creates new K-8 campuses, with the changes taking effect in the coming school year. The decision followed a Tuesday night meeting in which more than 60 speakers addressed the board. Many urged officials…
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Pinellas County school leaders say they must act on falling enrollment, and Tarpon Springs parents made clear Monday night that they want other options on the table before the district closes or consolidates schools. The district’s “Planning for Progress” proposals could affect more than 10 schools through closures or consolidation into K-8 campuses. Deputy Superintendent…
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Pinellas County School Board members will vote tonight on a plan to close four schools and reshape several others, a decision that will affect more than 1,000 students and their families. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick has warned since last school year that tight budgets and shrinking enrollment would require more closures. The board now has to…
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Pinellas County Schools is moving toward closing seven schools at the end of this school year, part of a push by Superintendent Kevin Hendrick to cut $25 million in recurring annual expenses. The district says shrinking enrollment is driving the school closure and consolidation plan. Hendrick pointed to a 25% drop in local birth rates…
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Sexton Elementary has been pulled from next week’s Pinellas County School Board vote on school closures. Parents who organized against the plan have won at least a temporary reprieve. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said the district will take another look at options for schools in the Lealman area and north of downtown St. Petersburg. The move…
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Pinellas County school leaders will take up the future of seven campuses this week, as the district weighs closures it says are driven by a persistent shortage of students. School board members will meet in a workshop Tuesday morning to discuss closures proposed for the end of the current school year. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick has…
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Pinellas County Schools is pushing back its second round of community meetings on proposed school closures until after an Oct. 6 School Board workshop, giving board members more time to sort through recommendations that parents say don’t hold up to scrutiny. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick announced the delay Tuesday night, with new meeting dates to be…
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Pinellas County Schools is moving toward closing seven underused campuses in a plan district leaders say would eliminate nearly 5,000 empty seats and save taxpayers roughly $25 million a year, even as some parents pushed back at emotional town hall meetings this week. The schools recommended for closure are Sexton, Blanton, Bear Creek, Tarpon Springs…
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Pinellas County Schools spent more than $900,000 upgrading John M. Sexton Elementary over the past five years. Now the district wants to close it — and hand the building to an unnamed nonprofit it won’t yet identify. Sexton is one of seven schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick has recommended for closure as the district cites declining…
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For years, Pinellas County kept funding buildings the birth rate had already emptied out. On Thursday, Superintendent Kevin Hendrick put a number on that avoidance: 45,000 empty seats district-wide, and a recommendation to close seven schools that the enrollment numbers can no longer support. The list — Tarpon Springs Fundamental, Kings Highway, Azalea, Blanton, Bear…
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Pinellas County Schools officials say community members still have opportunities to provide input as the district continues evaluating additional school closures and consolidations driven by declining student enrollment. District leaders updated the Pinellas County School Board on Tuesday about the ongoing planning process, emphasizing that no final decisions have been made regarding the next round…
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Pinellas County School Board members are set to receive an update Tuesday on the district’s ongoing review of which schools could close or consolidate due to declining enrollment, with just weeks remaining before the new school year begins. The update follows the closures of Cross Bayou Elementary and Disston Academy, which shut down for good…
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Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said the district’s declining enrollment continues to shape long-term planning, but he does not expect sweeping changes to occur all at once. Speaking during a recent School Board workshop, Hendrick said enrollment trends have been clear for several years as fewer school-age children live in Pinellas County. District leaders…
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Pinellas County Schools is asking families to help decide which schools stay open, as district leaders weigh a new round of closures driven by years of declining enrollment. The district hosted three community meetings Wednesday, including one at Pinellas Park High School, where Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said officials are studying what works best for individual…
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Pinellas County Schools kicked off a fresh round of community meetings last week as district leaders begin identifying which schools could be closed or consolidated for the 2027-2028 school year, part of an ongoing effort to address enrollment declines that officials say could persist for decades. Three “Planning for Progress” meetings were held Thursday across…
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Twenty high school seniors spent four days this week learning to change tires, replace oil, and handle other basic vehicle maintenance tasks at an all-girls automotive summer camp hosted by Pinellas County Schools at Northeast High School. The camp is part of a district effort to draw more female students into automotive careers, a field…
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The Pinellas County School Board has approved new principals at six schools for the coming school year, with the changes driven primarily by retirements and internal transfers. At the middle school level, Karen Huzar will move from East Lake Middle School to Carwise Middle School, where she will replace retiring principal Chad Eiben. Huzar has…
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The Pinellas County School Board is set to vote on whether to purchase advanced weapons detection systems following a brief pilot program that ended after just nine days — well short of its originally planned run through the end of the school year. Safety officials say the nine-day data collection period was sufficient to reach…
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Cross Bayou Elementary School held its final day of classes today, Thursday, May 28, 2026, and will close permanently after nearly 70 years of service in Pinellas County Schools. The school, which opened in 1958, wrapped up operations as students transitioned to nearby Pinellas Central and Bardmoor elementary schools. Its Deaf/Hard of Hearing program will…
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Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick is set to present school board members on Wednesday with data from a recently concluded weapon detection pilot program, as the district weighs whether to expand the technology on a permanent basis. The district launched the pilot program at Gibbs High School and Palm Harbor University High School on…
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Pinellas County Schools is signaling that more school closures are on the horizon, driven by falling enrollment and ongoing budget pressures. The school board voted in February to shut down or repurpose several schools in order to save the district more than $7 million in recurring annual expenses. Two schools are already set to close…
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A weapon detection pilot program at two Pinellas County high schools is being shut down today, just 10 days after it launched, following operational problems and concerns about upcoming standardized testing. The pass-through detectors were installed at school entrances on April 7, with administrators initially saying they would remain in place through May 29. Instead,…
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Four Pinellas County schools are in line for new start times for the 2026-27 school year, with one middle school facing a dramatic shift of more than two hours earlier in the morning. The district has recommended moving Largo Middle School’s start time from 9:40 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. — a change aimed at streamlining…
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Pinellas County school officials are considering new bell schedules at four schools for the upcoming fall semester, with a board vote set for April 14. Parents at St. Petersburg High, Dunedin High, Largo High, and Largo Middle School received letters outlining the proposed changes. District officials say the adjustments are intended to better manage bus…
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The Pinellas County School Board voted on February 24, 2026, to approve a set of changes that will close two schools and reconfigure several others. These decisions mark the first phase of the district’s multi-year “Planning for Progress” initiative. The adjustments take effect at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 school year. Declining enrollment stands at…
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Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, Pinellas County Schools will require student athletes to pay $50 per sport to participate in middle and high school athletics. A $200 per-family cap will limit the maximum annual cost for households with multiple student athletes. Athletic director Marc Allison cited rising costs for officials, transportation, uniforms, and equipment…
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Pinellas County Public Schools has lost nearly 3,700 students this school year compared to last year, marking a continuation of a decade-long enrollment decline that has district leaders planning school closures and consolidations. The district’s student enrollment has dropped from approximately 78,000 students last school year to just over 74,000 this year, according to school…
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Pinellas County Schools is set to graduate its first class of teacher apprentices from a two-year program that converts support staff into certified teachers. The program combines virtual college coursework with classroom teaching experience under mentor supervision. Participants work as co-teachers while completing their certification at no personal cost and earn higher salaries than their…
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Pinellas County School Board is considering closing and consolidating several schools to address declining enrollment and rising maintenance costs. The recommendations affect at least three schools and could save the district approximately $8 million annually in operating expenses, with an additional $7 million deferred in maintenance and capital costs. Under the current proposal, Disston Academy…
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Pinellas County school officials have begun a series of public meetings to gather community input on addressing declining enrollment that has left the district with approximately 45,000 empty seats. The district held the first of five town hall meetings on November 12 at Boca Ciega High School, where about 30 residents attended. Chief Operating Officer…
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Pinellas County Schools held a community meeting Monday night at Largo High School to address declining enrollment and gather public input on the district’s future planning. Enrollment dropped from nearly 78,000 students last school year to just over 74,000 this school year, a decrease of 3,651 students, according to district officials. Chief Operations Officer Jennifer…
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The Florida Department of Education has released the 2024–2025 school year grades, and just two Tampa Bay districts—Pinellas and Sarasota—earned an overall ‘A’ rating. “This is another proud moment for Pinellas County Schools,” said Superintendent Kevin Hendrick. “Earning a district grade of an ‘A’ shows the strength and commitment of our students, teachers, and staff,…
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Two Tampa Bay area school districts—Pasco and Pinellas—will raise school lunch prices due to inflation and the anticipated effects of new tariffs. In Pasco County, school officials voted this week to increase lunch prices by 5 percent, translating to an additional 10 to 15 cents per meal. The district emphasized that students in need can…
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Pinellas County school teachers and support staff will receive salary increases next year, funded by an expanded property tax referendum approved by voters in November. Union and school district representatives negotiated the distribution of the tax revenue, which increases to $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. On April 10, 2025, union members voted strongly in…
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In a significant move to enhance emergency response times, the Pinellas County School Board has approved a new panic alert system for all 132 schools in the district. The multi-million-dollar initiative will roll out early next year, ensuring schools can respond more swiftly to emergencies. The new ‘Crisis Alert Wearable Solution’ will equip staff with…
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After over two months of displacement caused by Hurricane Helene, students at Madeira Beach Fundamental K-8 will return to their campus on Monday. This marks the initial phase of the school’s reopening. In a Thanksgiving letter to the school community, Principal Chris Ateek expressed gratitude and optimism: “Gratitude and thanks are the perfect reflection of…
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Pinellas County Schools will hold a special board meeting Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. to discuss making up 46.5 hours of instruction time lost during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The meeting, set for the administration building’s conference hall, will consider several proposed schedule adjustments across all grade levels. Confirmed Changes: Proposed Schedule Adjustments by Grade Level:…
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The Pinellas County School Board has finalized plans to recover approximately 50 hours of instruction time lost due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The board approved the following calendar changes at a Tuesday workshop: New School Days Additional Changes “Our staff have thoughtfully balanced academic excellence with compassion for what our community has experienced during…
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