Pinellas might close more schools. Here’s what parents, staff are saying.
Tampa Bay Times | By: Jeffrey S. Solochek | August 13, 2026
The big story: In preparation for a second round of school closing and merger recommendations, Pinellas County district officials asked community members what they want to see.
More than 2,500 people responded. Nearly half were parents, with another third being district employees.
Superintendent Kevin Hendrick plans to discuss the public comments with the school board during a workshop this morning. The session is a precursor to the next proposal, which Hendrick is set to present in early September.
Some themes already have emerged from the feedback:
• People don’t like the idea of closing neighborhood schools, saying they help create community. They also keep the need for student busing to a minimum.
• If the district must shut down under-enrolled campuses, many respondents support merging nearby schools to optimize resources, reducing costs while maintaining programs and services. The K-8 model was particularly popular, though some raised concerns about losing middle school opportunities such as sports in such a setup.
• The concept of combined middle-high schools had much less support than the K-8 idea. Worries about the maturity and development levels of the student body were the key concern.
• Many respondents like the idea of establishing more fundamental schools in their areas, suggesting they provide better discipline and higher academic outcomes. Several said they would like the district to have more school options overall. Some worried about the possibility of creating a system that favors some groups over others, though.
Once school board members have the administration’s recommendations, they plan to hold another round of public forums for additional input. Those are tentatively scheduled for Sept. 14-21.
The board expects to have an approved plan in place at its Nov. 10 meeting, giving families plenty of time to explore options before the district’s 2027-28 school choice application window opens.
