PINELLAS CO., Fla. — The superintendent for Pinellas County Schools said he will recommend closing two schools and expanding an elementary school into a K-8 school at a school board workshop on Tuesday.
Superintendent Kevin K. Henderick said he will bring five recommendations to the school board during the Jan. 20 school board workshop.
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 superintendent said these recommendations aim to address things like the declining school-age population and legislative changes.
“These recommendations are the result of a multi-year effort rooted in the realities our county is facing: a declining school-age population, legislative changes regarding school building use, and ensuring that every student has access to strong, sustainable schools,” said Hendrick in the statement.
The statement said the school board will discuss these recommendations again at a Feb. 17 workshop and a final board vote is scheduled for Feb. 24.
The workshop on Jan. 20 starts at 9:30 a.m. and more information on upcoming Pinellas County School Board meetings is available here.
This is a developing story. Tampa Bay 28 will provide more details as they become available.
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