Pinellas County Schools holds first community meeting on possible closures

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Pinellas County Schools (PCS) is hosting its first community meeting on Thursday after presenting recommendations to the school board that include closing, consolidating and expanding schools.

PCS presented the set of recommendations to the school board on Jan. 20 and said the recommendations are designed to address enrollment trends, resource use and learning environments.

List of recommendations:

• Create a K-8 school combining Bay Point Elementary and Bay Point Middle to be located on the middle school campus in 2027-28.
• Expand Oldsmar Elementary into a K-8 school beginning 2026-27.  
• Expand employee child care program to McMullen-Booth Elementary in the 2026-27 school year.
• Close Cross Bayou Elementary at the end of the 2025-26 school year, rezone the current students to Bardmoor and Pinellas Central elementary schools. Transition the Deaf/Hard of Hearing program to Walsingham Oaks K-8.  
• Close Disston Academy at the end of the 2025-26 school year and relocate programs and students to established educational alternative sites.

The first community meeting for families to respond to the recommendations is scheduled for Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. at Cross Bayou Elementary, which PCS has recommended closing at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

According to the PCS website, an overview of the recommendation will be presented with an opportunity for community members to ask questions.

Tampa Bay 28 reporter Mary O'Connell spoke to some parents in Pinellas County after the recommendations were announced.

WATCH: Pinellas parents share perspectives on recommendations to close, combine, and expand schools

When the recommendations were announced, PCS said will host community meetings at all impacted schools between Jan. 21 and Feb. 6.

PCS said the school board will discuss these recommendations again at a Feb. 17 workshop and a final board vote is scheduled for Feb. 24.