LARGO, Fla. — With just weeks remaining before the start of the new school year, Pinellas County School Board members are expected to receive an update Tuesday on the district’s ongoing efforts to consolidate or close schools due to declining enrollment.
After closing Cross Bayou Elementary and Disston Academy for good in May, the district is now looking at what schools could close at the end of the 2026-2027 school year. Last week, 3 community meetings were held where district officials asked for feedback as part of the decision making progress.
No final decision on potential closures and consolidations is expected until the fall.
Pinellas County Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said there is no predetermined number of schools the district plans to close, but maintaining underutilized buildings is not financially sustainable. He said several factors are being considered when evaluating schools, including the age and condition of buildings, maintenance costs, geographic location and the academic programs offered at each campus.
“The tougher part is the emotional side of when you have a beloved institution that is changing, whether that is consolidating, closing, repurposing,” Hendrick said. “Those things are emotional decisions, and that takes time.”
The district currently has approximately 45,000 empty student seats. Officials attribute the excess capacity in part to declining birth rates and falling enrollment. According to the district, only 68% of children born in Pinellas County in 2020 were enrolled in Pinellas County Schools during the last school year.
“With 45,000 open seats, obviously you could close a lot of schools, but we’re not interested in doing that,” he said. “We want to do what makes sense in a community.”
District leaders have previously said schools affected by the most recent round of consolidations will not be considered again during this next phase. For example, that would mean students reassigned after the closure of Cross Bayou Elementary will not be forced to relocate a second time as part of the upcoming decisions
In addition to discussing school facilities, the school board is also expected to review budget reductions affecting mental health funding. The proposed budget includes a cut of just under $150,000 for mental health assistance. District officials said, despite the reduction, all current mental health services will remain in place for the upcoming school year.