NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A unanimous vote Tuesday by Pasco County School Board members sealed the fate of three district schools. Calusa Elementary, Chasco Elementary and Chasco Middle schools will shutter their doors at the end of the current school year.
Starting during the 2025-2026 school year, a new K-8 school will open for those students to attend, according to the school board.
A report presented to the school board said that all three schools were declining in terms of student population and attendance, with Calusa fairing the worst. Calusa Elementary School was listed at 65 percent capacity at the start of the school year — 429 students out of a possible 657.
Chasco Elementary and Middle schools, located about 1.4 miles from Calusa Elementary, will also be closed down. However, students won't have to fully relocate; the plan is to build the new K-8 school on the existing Chasco campus.
The proposal said the district isn't "fully realizing the benefits of a K-8 on the Chasco Campus." Built in 2000 and 2001, respectively, Chasco Elementary and Chasco Middle sit on a combined 238,616 square feet of space spanning about 35 acres.
This existing campus footprint is akin to other K-8 schools in Florida and across the country, the proposal said, making it an ideal location for the new school. A boundary change proposal to rezone the schools' current student population is expected to be put before the Board later this fall.
While the school board said this would minimize disruption to families and have the least impact on transportation for students, not all parents are happy with the decision. During public comment, some parents were upset with what they say was too-short notice about the impending change. Others expressed concern over the potential for overcrowded classrooms.
The district says any students who don't want to attend their newly zoned school can apply for school choice through the Pasco Pathways process.