TAMPA, Fla. — A first vote over the future of Hillsborough County Public Schools' boundary changes is slated to take place next week.
On Thursday, families will have the chance to weigh in on the final round of community meetings at Madison Middle School and Chamberlain High School. It's an effort to address overcrowding in the seventh largest school district in the country while saving money.
According to the proposed scenario recommended by Superintendent Addison Davis, the district would:
- Reduce the amount of "very over" and "very under-utilized" schools from 23 to 0
- Reduce the number of impacted students from at least 24,000 to 15,000
- Save the district at least $12 million
However, school board members remain divided over the proposals. Some board members are calling for a delay to gather more input.
The superintendent's proposal is a hybrid between three other options presented by consultants. The changes would take place in phases with most beginning in 2024.
Under the proposal, at least five schools considered under-utilized would close or be fully repurposed. Adams Middle School would also close with plans to reopen as a College Prep Academy by 2026.
Cleveland Elementary, Kimbell Elementary, and Just Elementary schools would also close. In addition, McLane and Monroe Middle Schools would close as well, under the recommendation.
Parents like Candace Zayas find benefit in the recommendation. She serves as president of Madison Middle School's Parent Teacher Student Association.
"We'll have a community school, like one middle school for this area of South Tampa," Zayas said.
Zayas, who also attended the school and now has six kids following her footsteps, believe it could provide more opportunities for parent involvement or extracurricular activities.
In addition, the transition into one school could foster a bigger sense of community for students as they move from elementary school or into high school.
However, like many sides have expressed, concerns remain over the execution of transportation under the changes and the risks associated with even more overcrowding in years to come.
That includes questions from Emily Zach, PTSA president for Monroe Middle School and mother of an enrolled seventh grader.
However, she was hopeful the superintendent would recommend Scenario 3, which would've kept Monroe Middle School open instead.
"That was something I was looking forward to," Zach said. "We're hoping to see it stay open."
On top of location, she said keeping the school may make more sense given the Magnet PK-8, located near Madison, is slated to open in 2024.
With the current recommendation, she fears the district won't be able to retain enough students in south Tampa, forcing more students to attend charter or private schools elsewhere.
For now, a vote is scheduled for Feb. 28 with plans to be finalized on March 9.