APOLLO BEACH, Fla. — Some parents in Apollo Beach are pushing to expand Inez Doby Elementary School into a K-8 campus. They say the transformation would keep more families in public schools as charter options continue to grow in the area.
Sue Bottiglieri, a parent of two students at Doby, is helping lead the Grow with Doby K-8 Initiative, a parent-driven effort advocating for the expansion.
“We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response for this expansion,” she said.
WATCH: Parents continue push to transform Apollo Beach school in a K-8 campus
Supporters like Bottiglieri argue that offering middle school grades on the same campus would give families another option and reduce the number of students leaving Hillsborough County Public Schools for charter schools.
“There are probably six [charter schools] in this area, and those are the top schools that parents are choosing if they’re not choosing the public school," Bottiglieri said.
Bottiglieri says the group surveyed families in the area, including parents whose children currently attend charter schools, and found strong interest in expanding Doby into another K-8 option.
Supporters point to academic and social benefits of the K-8 model, including smoother transitions between elementary and middle school and stronger relationships between students and teachers over time.
Last week, Bottiglieri and other parents again brought their concerns to the school board and renewed their calls for the district to consider expanding Doby beyond fifth grade.
Several parents spoke during public comment and emphasized growth pressures in the Apollo Beach and SouthShore areas and the increasing number of school choices families are weighing.
“Our community wants to go ahead and see a continued focus on expanding the choices in our area,” said Juan Hernandez, a father of two. “This expansion would go ahead and give more choices to meet the community’s needs and attract students back to the school district instead of the growing presence of charter schools in our area.”
The group says it has collected more than 1,100 signatures from community members supporting the expansion of Doby and plans to continue advocating into 2026.
The Grow with Doby K-8 Initiative is run by a committee of parents who meet monthly. More information can be found on the group’s Facebook page, Grow with Doby, or by emailing dobyKto8@yahoo.com.
Bottiglieri’s group has met with multiple board members in the past, and she feels like her message is being heard.
“They are listening to us, and we’re having really productive conversations about what’s going on,” she said.
The district has not taken a position on the request for expansion.
A spokesperson tells Tampa Bay 28, “It is currently not on our 5-year plan. We always review the 5-year plan, but have not made any decisions at this time. There are costs associated with expanding existing schools to a K-8.”
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