Pasco schools seek parent input on handling enrollment decline
Tampa Bay Times | By: Jeffrey S. Solochek | September 10, 2026
The big story: Pasco County school board members have ideas when it comes to tackling the district’s enrollment decline.
During a workshop this week, chairperson Colleen Beaudoin suggested that offering more prekindergarten classes could lead to more children remaining for kindergarten and beyond.
Board member Megan Harding pressed for increased communication with families who have children in other preschool settings.
With birth rates shrinking, and participation in voucher and charter programs growing, reaching out to every family becomes more critical, they suggested.
“I don’t want to just simply manage the decline,” Harding said. “I want to know what is our strategy for competing for students.”
It also launched an online survey Wednesday for people to discuss their thoughts about how to deal with the student population slide. In its first day, Legg said, the district received about 600 comments.
Officials hope to have a proposal in hand before the end of the fall.
